The Devil You Know
by Templarlady
Summary: A follow up to The Milk of Paradise
1. Chapter 1

The usual disclaimers apply: the character of Bill Compton belongs to Charlaine Harris and Alan Ball. All the others are my own.

The Devil You Know

It had been several months now since Bill and I had returned from the horror of that house and neither of us had escaped unscathed from the experience. I still had occasional nightmares of falling into darkness or of being thrown into a cold, dark cell and left to wait for death.

Bill...well, Bill was somehow both changed and yet also still the same. Most of the time he was the Bill I had always known, gentle and loving, at least with me. I had always felt that I could sense his strength through the blood bond but now I could feel more than that. He carried an aura about him of enormous power somehow held in perfect balance. I had always been able to feel his love for me, but now there was a darker part to him as well, the part I associated with Lilith, a kind of black well of energy, made up of equal parts lust, hunger and self-loathing.

I could tell that his hunger had increased since the arrival of his unwanted guest and I could only guess that it was hers. He was wary now of feeding from me and I knew that he was afraid that he would lose control and that he hated the feeling, the knowledge that he might hurt me. He looked tired and when he took me in his arms there was a kind of desperation in his kisses, as though he were afraid each time we made love that it might be the last.

There had been endless meetings, conferences and seminars with different vampire groups and almost as many with humans. The Authority cosseted him and guarded him constantly, attempting to display him like some kind of trophy. At first his security detail had tried to keep him isolated, away from ordinary people, but Bill refused steadfastly to put up with this. His first appearance on TV with Ulrich, who had calmly told the story of what had happened in the hallway of Darius's house whilst sitting alongside a creature in the shape of a handsome man with skin the colour of blood, had ignited a media frenzy. The house had been surrounded by photographers for days. Then, when they had gone, the vampires began arriving. Like medieval pilgrims, first in ones and twos, then in groups. They brought gifts for him and wanted only to see him, perhaps speak with him for a moment. His security tried to keep them away but Bill insisted on seeing them, speaking with them. He told me that Lilith needed to meet ordinary vampires, those who lived in today's world. She needed to hear their thoughts, to understand how they lived and what they wanted.

He was the best weapon The Authority had in their fight to bring vampires into the real world. They arrived in awe of him, intending only to worship him, but they left having witnessed the strength and power of the Goddess combined with Bill's innate kindness and common sense, inspired to carry away the message of mainstreaming, of peaceful co-existence.

Bill had recruited Gerry as a kind of PA and he and Susie had moved in with us. I hadn't been too sure about this at first but Gerry proved to be a natural manager dealing with everyone who came to see Bill with equal charm and patience. Susie's media experience was a great help to him and her sweet nature soon won me over. I had to admit that I appreciated having another human around.

Then there was Azaria. When we had first returned to the Mill House Azaria was back from her sojourn with Dan and Bill had asked me to leave them alone together for a while to talk. Somewhat reluctantly I had agreed and had sat, patiently in the front room while Bill attempted to explain to Azaria what had happened to him. It was several hours later when the door opened and she came out looking stunned.

"Alex?" she whispered, coming over to me. "Bill told me what happened!" She took my arm and directed me into the lounge. We sat down on the sofa and she sat for a moment staring into the fire, her expression blank and empty. "I've read the Testament" she said suddenly. "Ulrich gave me a copy in Sorrento, I wanted to learn more about our kind, well more that Lazlo had told me, so I read it. We talked about it, Bill and I. I asked him questions and he...he answered me, but...he never seemed as if he believed it! He never told me a word about Berenice, about the shrine or the blood." She turned to me with a questioning expression.

"No, me neither" I said. "I understand that he swore to her that he would never reveal anything about her, and he never did. Not until she came to England." I gave a little smile, "a man of his word, our Bill!"

"Is it really true?" she asked. "The spirit of the Goddess is in him?"

"Oh yes!" I answered quietly. "she is."

Azaria said nothing. She just sat beside me on the sofa staring into the fire. "He told me what had happened to you" she said, without looking at me. "You could have been killed...he could have killed you!" She turned her head slightly. Just enough for her huge, dark eyes to meet mine. "Thank you" she said.

* * *

At dusk on that first night after we had returned to the Mill House I climbed wearily out of bed and headed for the bathroom. Alex was already up and I could hear her moving about upstairs. Perhaps a shower would help, I thought. As I opened the bathroom door and walked towards the open shower I felt myself hesitate for a moment. I heard a faint voice in my head. _What is this? _It's just a shower I thought patiently. It won't hurt you! I stepped into the cubicle and switched on the shower. I had spared no expense on my bathroom at the Mill House and hot water poured out, not only from the shower heads set into the ceiling of the cubicle but also from jets set into the walls. I felt my body flinch in surprise and then relax as Lilith felt the water on my skin. _Hmm...this is nice! _She thought. _It is like being in the rain, but inside...and so hot!_ I sighed and squeezed shampoo onto my hands. _Ah yes, I remember this. _The voice slid into my mind as I soaped my hair. _You may not recall it as you had not yet been woken by your little pet._ I thought she sounded annoyed with Alex, but apparently I was wrong. _I may have misjudged her my friend, she said softly. She certainly appears to please you..._

Suddenly there was a memory, where before there had been nothing. I was standing in a shower under a spray of hot water. I looked down and Alex was kneeling at my feet washing my legs. I could feel her soft, warm hands rubbing gently at my skin, cleaning off the dried blood. She glanced up at me and, with a shock, I saw the fear in her eyes. She was afraid of me, of course she was, who could blame her? She lowered her head and I felt her wet hair brush across my thigh. _You see William, even the memory of her touch brings you pleasure. _I looked down at myself and sighed. She gave a little chuckle. _You think that I cannot affect this body, that you have control but you see that you are wrong!_ Ah, but you see, I can do this...I reached for the lever that controlled the temperature, turned it to cold and was immediately drenched in ice cold water. I felt Lilith gasp and disappear, presumably to some warmer area of my subconscious mind. I looked down at myself again and laughed. Well that's sorted that out as well! I thought as I turned off the water and stepped out of the cubicle.

After the first few months her deep feelings of anger, malice and resentment had seemed to ease and since then Lilith and I had come to a kind of accommodation. She had begun to accept that it would take far too much effort and struggle on her part to force me to comply with her will since I would fight her every step of the way. Instead she agreed to allow me control and not to try to influence me as I slept while in return I agreed to do everything I could to help Ulrich and The Authority to put forward their agenda of peaceful co-operation.

It had taken a while but she had come to accept that a takeover by vampires was not only impossible but would only lead to disaster. As I had explained to Berenice, she was the originator of the vampire race and the mother of us all, she truly did not mean us harm. I had tried to imagine how I would feel if I had spent thousands of years brooding over a terrible wrong that had been done to me and came to the conclusion that I might well show the kind of hatred and bitterness towards humans that she had felt. Don't get me wrong, she certainly did not like humans, but she was prepared to tolerate them. Our major difference of opinion was over Alex.

To Lilith, she was food, nothing more. She seemed truly unable to understand how I felt about her. _I have no objections to her she said sweetly. By all means, keep her if you wish. She is useful after all. _That is not why she is here! I thought. _She gives you pleasure does she not...and sustenance? Why else would you keep a human?_ I love her, I growled. Why is it that someone with your knowledge and experience cannot understand this simple concept! Even if she did not allow me to feed from her and to make love to her, I would still want her to stay with me. I could feel Lilith's surprise at this statement. _She allows you to do these things? She has a choice in the matter? _she asked incredulously. Yes, she does! _But she does not truly understand the danger, does she, the prey never does. _Alex is not prey! I snapped. _If you continue to feed on her William, that is exactly what she is._ Her voice poured into my head like poisoned honey. _She enjoys it doesn't she, they always do, and it makes them reckless. When prey has been taken so many times they stop caring about death. There's only the pleasure of being fed apon. They care nothing for the danger. There's no thought involved, no judgement, no hesitation, only need and desire. _There was a soft laugh and suddenly I was alone in my head. Lilith appeared to have faded away, leaving me free to consider her words.

* * *

I was sitting at the dressing table brushing my hair when Bill finally arrived after one of his interminable meetings. I glanced up into the mirror and watched him walk over to me. He came up behind me and slipped his arms around me with a smile, leaning down to plant a gentle kiss on my cheek. "Mmm...you know the only thing that kept me going through that meeting was the thought of holding you in my arms as soon as we had finished" he murmured into my ear.

I leaned back on the stool, turning my face up to him. "I was beginning to think you'd never get away!"

He smiled down at me. "Ulrich and his team have left and Gerry's gone to bed with a file of paperwork the size of "War and Peace", Susie will probably never forgive me!"

"Oh I'm sure she'll cope" I said. "How about you? You look tired."

"Just a little" he answered, tightening his arms around me and lifting me up off the stool. "But not so tired that I can't give you what you want..."

"And what's that?" I whispered as he carried me over to the bed and laid me down gently on the covers.

"Whatever you like sweetheart" he said softly stepping up to the side of the bed. He was wearing a smart dark grey pinstripe suit and I knelt upright on the bed and reached up to unfasten his tie. He shrugged out of his jacket and turned to place it over the back of a chair. I sat back on my heels on the covers and watched him undress, quickly and neatly, folding the suit trousers over the back of the same chair. He came over to the bed and knelt before me on the covers, reaching forward to slip the silk gown back off my shoulders. The coffee coloured gown slid down over my arms into a silken pool on the bed around my knees. For a moment he simply knelt there before me, gazing at me as if he were trying to memorise every inch of my body. The he reached forward and pulled me closer, close enough to brush his lips gently over mine.

A little tingle run down my spine at his touch and I leaned forward, giving myself up to his kiss. I felt a cool hand run down my spine and brush over the swell of my buttocks as Bill leaned closer and pulled my body tight against his. We knelt on the bed, our bodies moulded together, Bill's tongue gently caressing my lips until I began to sense his rising excitement through the blood bond. As I pressed myself against him I felt further evidence of his arousal and a shiver ran through me as his hard length began to press against my stomach. His lips pulled away from mine and began to trace tiny delicate kisses down my throat to my breasts as he carefully laid me down on the pillows.

As his kisses trailed down my stomach I felt his hand move up my thigh, his long delicate fingers slipping into my already wet folds, gently testing and caressing me. As he did so I felt a surge of lust through the bond and, for a moment I wasn't sure that it was actually his. Then his fingers brushed over the spot which had swollen with my own arousal and I found that I didn't care. I just wanted him. I gave a little moan and pushed myself up towards him, shifting a little on the pillows to give him easier access. He smiled down at me and reached between his own legs for his hardened member, taking it in his hand and rubbing it over my wet slippery flesh. I gave another moan and began to wriggle against him frantically as he positioned himself carefully at my entrance and lay still, allowing me to push myself onto him with a sigh of pleasure.

Afterwards, when I lay in his arms, still panting slightly and feeling little shivers running through me, I realised that, although I had felt his lips nuzzling at my throat, he had not bitten me, had not fed from me. I leaned forward and kissed his bare shoulder, nibbling gently at his skin.

"What's wrong darling?" I asked. "I know you're hungry..."

He stared bleakly up at the ceiling for a moment, trying to put his thoughts into words for me. "I...I can't. Not after everything that's happened..." He turned on his side to face me. "Every time I think of it, when I imagine myself feeding from you, all I can see are those cells...those people, kept there as food." He looked at me, his eyes pink with unshed tears. "I know that everyone who comes here, human and vampire, thinks that is why I keep you with me...for food. I know that Lilith believes that. They think that I advocate peaceful co-existence, that I push forward the mainstreaming agenda, persuade other vampires to drink Tru Blood, and at the same time I keep a human girl in my home to feed from myself. What does that make me Alex? A hypocrite of the worst kind!"

I put my arms around him and held him to me. "Oh come on Bill, if you kept me chained up in the cellar to feed from, then you would be a hypocrite. But you don't, they know that. I could leave at any time. I've not been glamoured and kept here against my will. For heaven's sake you don't even feed from me any more!" I looked up at him, but he wouldn't meet my eyes. "That's not all of it is it?" I asked. "There's something more?"

He sighed and look me in the eyes. "It's Lilith" he admitted with a sigh. "She thinks that, deep down, I regard you as prey, that if I continue to feed on you that it will prove that is all you are to me. She thinks that I have drawn you in, made you addicted to being fed on...and she's right, it's what we do."

"What!" I was shocked. "You believed her!"

"But it's true Alex" he said quietly. "You enjoy it...don't you?"

"Well...yes. But that's not the only reason, you know that. I want to feed you, you need it, you know you do..." I reached out and stroked his pale cheek gently. "You're hungry...and I love you..." I pushed him gently onto his back and climbed astride him, shifting my body carefully to allow him to ease himself back inside me. I felt a little shudder run through him as I moved myself forward, tightening muscles deep inside me to squeeze him, hold him. I felt another surge of lust through the bond and he suddenly reared up holding me firmly by the hips and rolled over so that I lay crushed beneath him in the pillows. His long curved fangs were fully extended and he lowered his head to my neck and began to lick at his favourite spot. He paused and looked down into my eyes. "Are you sure?" he asked.

"Yes Bill, yes I'm sure."

I expected him to strike hard and drink deeply, I could see how hungry he was, but he didn't. Instead he bit gently down and then sealed his lips around the wounds and sucked carefully. After a few mouthfuls he pulled back and looked down at me. His lips and fangs were red with my blood, his tongue deep red as well as it slipped out to lick his lips carefully. "Are you okay?" he whispered to me.

"Yes, yes, I'm fine" I murmured, feeling the shuddering pleasure of his bite deep within me.

He bent his head and drank again, careful not to take too much, but enough to slake his thirst. I lay back on the pillows as he licked tenderly at the little wounds, careful not to waste a drop of my precious blood.

"There..." I murmured to him softly seeing, at last, that slight flush to his skin which showed that he had fed. We had no need to say anything more and we lay wrapped in each other's arms until the dawn came. I looked down at him sleeping peacefully, his dark head on my shoulder and I knew that I would do anything to help him, give him anything he needed from me, whatever the cost. Lilith was right, I knew the risks and I didn't care, but it wasn't because of the pleasure, it was because for the first time I knew what it was to love someone else more than my life.


	2. Chapter 2

I woke at dusk to find Alex fast asleep beside me. She was lying on her back, sprawled over the pile of pillows, her black hair spread around her head like a dark halo. She looked pale, but not dangerously so... I had not taken too much from her I thought with relief. After carefully examining the bite wound on her throat I decided I should leave it and speak to her when she woke. I lay on my side watching her sleep, watching the rise and fall of her chest, listening to the strong steady beat of her heart, and breathing in her familiar scent. Was I being foolish to love her as I did, I wondered. After what had happened with Sookie I had resolved never to get involved with a mortal woman again. Lorena had warned me against this and now Lilith was doing the same. But somehow I knew that what we had was different. I shifted a little closer, feeling the heat of her warming my cold flesh just as the sight of her warmed my cold heart. Suddenly I realised that the sight of her was doing something else to me as well! I reached out for her instinctively and then stopped myself. This was selfish of me, I should let her sleep. I wondered idly if she was so tired that she had slept all day, or if she had returned to me after getting up for a while. With a feeling of guilt I acknowledged that I had no idea what she had been doing over the last few days...weeks even. I had been so involved with Ulrich and his team of negotiators. I resolved to make more time to spend with her. She deserved better than this.

_Why do you think that you owe her anything? She is merely a mortal, she is of no consequence to us surely?_ The voice insinuated itself into my head so smoothly that for a moment I was shocked that I could think such a thing. Oh! It's you, I thought with a sigh. _You are a highly intelligent vampire William. You are of great use to me, but I cannot understand this excessive concern for a human._ I will always be concerned for her, so you had better get used to it! Besides, we have to deal with humans so perhaps you should try to understand them a little better. You've been there during all the Authority's negotiations after all. Do you have no contribution to make?There was a pause._ I would not lower myself to negotiate with humans. They are beneath contempt._ Oh Lilith...why can you not see the good in them. Those who killed you probably only did so out of fear, and they are long gone, can you not forgive them? A stony silence filled my mind. Oh well, perhaps in time you will change, I thought. _How dare you!_ The voice was cold and hard. _I was brought into existence by the word of the Almighty and you would have the arrogance to think that you can change me! I do not change, I will never change! _You have not changed because you have not really existed before, I pointed out mildly. You have not had physical form for many thousands of years. But now that you have, maybe things will be different. _Why would you think this?_ Because everything changes Lilith, whether it wants to or not. Existing in this world changes you, interacting with others changes you. You grow, you learn new things. _I was created with all the knowledge in existence_. All the knowledge that was in existence then perhaps, but a lot has changed since. Do you not want to learn new things? I asked curiously.

There was silence for a while. _Perhaps you are right, on consideration I have just learned something new._ There was a lazy sensuality to the voice which should probably have warned me what was coming. _I have learned that your little pet can __give us the most exquisite pleasure._ With a shock I realised that she had felt everything that I had felt during our lovemaking. Oh no...please! _But she is merely mortal William. You are so much stronger than her, especially now. Are you not concerned that you will damage her, perhaps irreparably?_ Yes! That is why I am very careful not to do so. _If you were to have sex with another vampire you would not have to worry about this. You have done so in the past haven't you?_ I buried my face in the pillow. _That won't help William, you are not hearing me with your ears!_ I know that! I snapped out loud. Alex shifted slightly in her sleep and murmured something, but did not wake. _Lorena now, your maker. Sex with her was...fiery, rough...you enjoyed that didn't you?_ Will you please go away? And stop rummaging through my memories! I felt her laughter rather than heard it. _Then there was Claudia and Anastasia...she taught you much my friend and...what's this, Berenice? My Berenice?_ She sounded quite offended for a moment. _You had my Guardian?_ She gave a wicked little laugh. _Oh you bad, bad boy! To distract her from her sacred duty! And such a distraction too, No wonder she waited for your arrival before performing the ceremony. _Stop this right now! I sat up and slipped quietly out of the bed so as not to wake Alex. We have a meeting this evening with Charles Montague and the Secretary of State and you will take notice of what is said, give me the benefit of your thoughts on the matter and not leave everything to me. Is that understood? _You do not give me orders William!_ The voice was little more than a hiss. Then what will you do? I snapped back. Spend the rest of eternity hiding out in my head, unable to affect anything? I thought you wished to lead our kind. Don't you think it's time you started? There was an awkward silence. _I will consider your request_ she said haughtily and faded away. I heaved another sigh and stepped into the shower.

* * *

When I woke Bill had already got up and gone upstairs to the study. I stretched and realised that I was really hungry. Then I remembered why. I hopped out of bed and examined myself in the bathroom mirror. Sure enough, there on my throat were the tell tale marks of Bill's bite. I hadn't dreamt it. I smiled to myself with relief and began to inventory the contents of the freezer in my head as I cleaned my teeth. I was sure I had a couple of steaks somewhere...

The large dining room at the Mill House had never been used since we had moved in as neither Bill nor Azaria needed it and I preferred to eat in the kitchen. It contained a huge antique English Burr Elm dining table which I would have found quite intimidating, but it was perfect to be converted into a conference room. Ulrich and his colleagues from the Authority had found it ideal for meetings both amongst themselves and with representatives of the Government, the Police and the Army. I tried to keep well out of the way as I usually did when I saw convoys of cars arriving but I knew that my presence in the house gave Bill a measure of comfort and normality amongst all the chaos.

I kept myself busy, cleaning up the upstairs rooms and cooking for myself and Susie when, just as we were tidying up in the kitchen, a convoy of vans arrived from the BBC and a horde of technicians poured out and started laying cables everywhere. I put my head around the door of Bill's study to see him sitting at his desk, reading a report on his laptop.

"Bill!" I hissed. "What's going on?"

He turned around and frowned, looking a little surprised to see me there. "Alex? Oh yes...I forgot to mention it to you." He held out his hands to me and I went over to him. He turned his chair around and pulled me down onto his lap, his arms around my waist. "The BBC have got hold of some information about a nest of vampires which the Authority discovered a few weeks ago. Sanguinistas I'm afraid. They had a set-up very similar to that at Darius's house, you know, holding humans as prisoners for food." I saw a flash of frustration cross his handsome face for a moment. "We still don't know quite how they found out about it, but they want to do an interview with me and Ulrich."

I shivered at the thought of what had happened to me in that house. "Do you think there are many nests like that still around?" I asked.

Bill shrugged. "Who knows?" he said. "We do our best to put out the message of mainstreaming and we've made it very clear that Lilith approves of our cause. The penalty for being caught feeding on an unwilling human is the true death but...what can I say? There are those vampires who like to live that way." He reached up and began to brush my hair carefully back from my face with his long fingers. "I'm hoping that you'll agree to join us?" he asked hopefully.

I cringed in his arms at the thought. "Oh Bill, must I?" I asked plaintively.

"Well, no. Not if you really don't want to, but it would help. You know I would never try to force you to do anything..." he leaned forward to give me a gentle kiss on the forehead. "Actually, since you are known to live with me, you might not be the best person. I gave Gerry the number you gave me for Lucy. I want to see if she would be prepared to be interviewed. Do you think she would?" he asked.

I thought for a moment. "Well, she might" I answered. "She did say that she wanted to help and Gerry can be very persuasive with the ladies!" I grinned at his slight frown. "Or so I've heard!" I returned his kiss. "Do you think that because Lucy isn't associated with you she'll make a more believable witness? more unbiased?"

"Yes, that was the idea" he said. "There's a certain type of human who tend to think that any human who associates with vampires is intrinsically evil and must, by definition, have been glamoured into submission!"

I smiled and leaned forward, slipping my arms around his neck and kissing him hungrily. I felt his tongue caress my lips gently and pulled back slightly. "Oh they're so right! I'm such a wicked girl!"

Bill's lips brushed against mine again. "Oh, I sincerely hope so!" he whispered.

I pushed my fingers up through his hair, examining his face carefully. "You look better" I said. "Not so pale and hungry."

He smiled. "I feel much better thank you. You were right, I needed to feed, I was just afraid..."

"Shh...I know, I understand.

Just then I heard footsteps in the hallway and got down off Bill's lap just as Gerry knocked briefly at the door and came in without pausing. "Well Bill, you'll be proud of me...oh. Hi Alex, sorry, was I interrupting?" He looked extremely embarrassed for a moment and Bill laughed at the expression on his face.

"It's okay" he said. "We were just talking! Why will I be proud of you? You convinced Lucy to be interviewed?"

"I certainly did!" said Gerry proudly. "Better than that, she's in the kitchen now waiting to see you."

Bill smiled. It was his old genuine smile, the smile I hadn't seen for a while. "Well done!" he said, getting up from the leather chair. "Let's go and talk to her shall we?" We moved to the door, Bill holding my hand and Gerry stood back to let us out with a little smile of his own.

Lucy was sitting at the kitchen table talking to Susie. "...yes, that's right" she broke off as Bill and I walked in and smiled shyly up at him. I looked from Bill to Gerry and wondered, not for the first time, why it was that vampires were always so damned attractive. I guessed that if you were going to create an immortal companion you'd probably want to pick someone attractive... Gerry had wavy black hair, dark grey eyes and the sort of rakish charm that would make the fathers of teenage girls want to shoot him on sight! Lucy certainly seemed to have been bowled over by the two of them.

"Lucy!" Bill walked over to the table and took her hands in his. "How are you? I didn't get the chance to see you after what happened with Darius. Alex tells me that one of the soldiers took care of you?"

"Yes. He took me home. I...I never got the chance to thank you. You saved my life...for the second time."

"Please, you have nothing to thank me for, you know that." Bill kissed her hands gently. "Has Gerry explained what's happening?"

"He said that there's a crew here from the BBC who want to interview you and you'd like me to be there too?"

Before Bill could answer there was a knock at the front door. Gerry jumped up at once. "That'll be Ulrich" he said. "I'll go and let him in."

Bill smiled down at Lucy. "They want to talk to us here, they're setting up now. Would you mind joining us? Ulrich and I will do most of the talking."

"I said I'd like to help...but I'm not sure how much use I'll be." she answered.

"You'll be fine" said Bill, just as a head appeared around the door and said "we're nearly ready for you, if you wouldn't mind..."


	3. Chapter 3

We walked into the dining room and took our seats at the conference table. This was to be a supposedly "impromptu" interview, which was why we had not been asked to come to a studio for the filming. It was not live, but was to be recorded and Ulrich had insisted, since the whole subject of vampires feeding on humans was such a delicate subject, that he should see and approve the completed interview before it was broadcast.

There were still one or two technicians working with cables and lights and an extremely pretty blond girl wearing, in my opinion, a quite unnecessarily tight top came over and fitted us with radio mikes. I noticed that she seem to manage Lucy and I very efficiently but fussed for a while over Bill and Ulrich, leaning over them and adjusting the clips with the sort of smile you usually only saw in toothpaste advertisements. Bill sat very still and calm and winked at me when he caught my eye. Ulrich, on the other hand, seemed nervous and was evidently annoyed by her attention, his fangs sliding out a little until she took the hint and backed off.

Just then I heard voices in the hallway and a man strode in trailing a group of make up people behind him like the tail of a comet. He was tall and slightly overweight and I recognised him immediately. It was Mike Daughtrey. He was renowned for being a jolly, friendly interviewer, right up to the point where he asked the question that the subject least wanted to hear, and then demanded an answer. He was known to have had tough politicians quaking in their boots. If Ulrich had known this then no wonder he was nervous! This explained why he wanted control over the edited interview before it was broadcast!

"Well, hello everyone!" he said cheerfully. "All ready are we?"

We all looked at each other rather doubtfully and nodded.

"Excellent!" He grinned at us and turned to a harassed looking man who was adjusting a camera. "Right then Pete, I think we're good to go."

He turned back to us. "We'll just have some general chit chat first and then I'll get down to some of the more serious items on our agenda…okay?"

"That will be fine" said Ulrich calmly.

"Okay then!" he made a rolling gesture with his hand in the direction of Pete and a little red light came on at the top of the camera.

"Let's see if I've got this right" he said with a smile. "You two ladies are Alexandra Morgan and Lucy Wilkinson and you're both human right?"

Lucy and I glanced at each other nervously. "Yes, that's right." I ventured.

Mike rewarded me with a big warm smile. "Great! And these two gentlemen…" he turned slightly to face Bill and Ulrich "are Ulrich Von Schröder, representing the Vampire Authority and William Compton." They nodded.

Mike looked around him with an interested expression. "This is your house I understand Mr Compton? It's a lovely old place. Have you lived here long?"

Bill smiled. "Not long no. We moved in last year, although I've owned the house since the early 1900s"

"Although "living" isn't perhaps the right word is it? You're also a vampire, right?"

"That's correct yes" said Bill patiently.

"In fact I believe this isn't your first time on TV is it Mr Compton? Don't I recall seeing you on "Late Night Talk" last year? Discussing an attack by some vampire hate group?"

"The Warriors of Ra" said Bill.

"Ah yes, that's right!" said Mike enthusiastically. "I remember now. You were shot weren't you? Protecting…." He turned to look at me "Miss Morgan if I'm not mistaken? Perhaps you would like to tell us about that Miss Morgan?"

Ulrich gave an impatient sigh and sat back in his chair. I could see he was itching to say something but he wisely kept silent.

"There's very little to say" I explained. "One of the gunmen had just shot Marcus, Charles Montague's bodyguard and another trained his gun on me. Bill stepped in front of me and was shot six times."

"So he saved your life?" He asked.

I turned and smiled at Bill, I couldn't help myself. "Yes, he did" I said simply.

Mike turned to Bill. "You seem to be making a habit of this Mr Compton." He said. "I understand that you also saved Miss Wilkinson's life recently?"

"I wouldn't go so far as to say that!" said Bill.

"Really?" said Mike. "Our informant tells us that Miss Wilkinson here was about to be attacked by a vampire and you stopped him. In a rather spectacular fashion I might add!"

"Darius Ashman" said Bill quietly. "Yes, he was about to attack Lucy, but that wouldn't necessarily have killed her. A vampire bite isn't fatal in itself. I'm sure you're aware of the fact that many humans are bitten by vampires and survive….. thrive even."

"Was that how you saw it Miss Wilkinson" he asked.

Lucy froze. She had relaxed a little since, so far, she had not been involved in the conversation. "Well…I didn't really know what he meant to do with me" she said. "But I was certainly very grateful to Bill for stopping him."

"You were afraid?" asked Mike, sympathetically.

"Well…yes, of course!" she said.

"Because of what had already happened to you?"

Lucy's eyes flicked over to Bill for a second "Um….well….." she began to blush furiously.

Ulrich stood up. "Turn that camera off right now!"

Mike held up his hand to the cameraman. "Just a minute! Is there some problem Herr Von Schröder?"

"I have two problems actually" snapped Ulrich. "Firstly Miss Wilkinson is clearly uncomfortable with this line of questioning and secondly we agreed to be interviewed about the discovery of a nest of vampires outside Sheffield not about Darius Ashman!"

"Where is Mr Ashman now, just out of curiosity?" asked Mike mildly.

"He is being held for questioning by the Authority" said Ulrich.

Bill put a hand on Ulrich's arm. "And I'm sure he will be dealt with in due course" he said calmly. "Lucy worked at his house as…a chambermaid?" he looked over at Lucy who jumped at this explanation.

"Yes, that's right. I'd not been there long and…well, quite frankly, he made me nervous. I was planning to leave anyway….but, when Darius threatened me, Bill...well, he came over to us, threw him off me and took me away from him."

"I see" said Mike. "So…..about this nest of vampires. Our informant told us that humans were being kept prisoner there, as food for the vampires. I take it that wasn't the kind of thing which was happening at Mr Ashman's property?"

I saw Bill's hand tighten on Ulrich's arm and he sat down again with a sigh. "It's quite possible that this was happening at Mr Ashman's property. It was for this very reason that Mr Compton here was sent in to find out what was going on. I can however, assure you that it will not be happening there again!" He looked up into the camera. "Feeding on unwilling humans is a crime punishable by the True Death! Yes, obviously we know that this happens, but if the vampire is caught I can assure you that he or she will be punished."

"But most are not caught though, are they?" asked Mike quickly.

"A lot of criminals are not caught!" said Ulrich angrily. "What proportion of burglars do you suppose are ever caught?"

Mike sat back thoughtfully in his chair. "So the vampires that were living at this house outside Sheffield. What happened to them? We were told that by the time the police arrived they had all been taken away somewhere."

"They had been removed by our security team" explained Ulrich.

"Shouldn't they have been handed over to the police?" asked Mike.

Ulrich put his elbows on the table and leaned forwards. "Yes" he admitted. "In an ideal world they would have been handed over to the police. But we don't live in an ideal world do we? The house, like Mr Ashman's, was isolated, right out in the countryside. Most small police departments don't even have the facilities to hold one vampire, never mind a dozen or so. What exactly would you like us to do with them? The local police have refused to release to us the names of the humans who escaped from the house." He looked up directly into the camera. "I can understand their reluctance, but I can assure you that, should you wish to come forward to give evidence, no harm will come to you."

I could quite understand why no-one wished to come forward to give evidence but somehow I didn't think it would be necessary. I had a shrewd suspicion that none of the vampires from the Sheffield nest would ever be seen again. Most humans simply had no idea of the harsh justice meted out by the Authority.

Mike sat back, considering for a moment, then turned back to Bill. "Of course now that I come to think of it you have made a TV appearance since "Late Night Talk" haven't you Mr Compton. I just didn't recognize you at first. Your...er...your skin was a different colour!" he sat gazing at Bill expectantly.

"That's right" answered Bill, gazing peacefully back at him.

Mike's eyes narrowed a little in frustration. Bill was clearly not reacting in the way he had expected. "Could you...explain that please?" he asked.

Bill gave a tiny smile. "Do you know, I don't think that I can entirely. It was merely an...outward symbol."

"A symbol of what?"

Ulrich cut in at this point. "I don't think we are particularly comfortable discussing our religious beliefs on camera" he said flatly.

"The colour of Mr Compton's skin is an outward symbol of the presence of your Goddess, Lilith. Isn't that right?" asked Mike patiently.

Ulrich gave a little growl and his fangs slid out a little.

Mike turned to Lucy and me. "You ladies have witnessed this?"

We nodded silently.

Mike sat back with a broad smile. "So what was it really boys? Some kind of dye?" Ulrich was on his feet so fast he blurred, but Bill was faster. He had a hand on Ulrich's shoulder and they stared at each other for a moment until Ulrich sat down again, rather reluctantly and Bill placed his hands on the table in front of him.

"Perhaps you would like to witness it yourself Mr Daughtrey?" he asked in a sweetly reasonable tone of voice.

To my delight Mike's face showed complete surprise for a moment. For once, he had no idea what to expect. "Er...yeah, yeah sure, please go ahead!"

You could have heard a pin drop in that room as Bill closed his eyes and stretched his arms forward onto the table. In seconds I saw the crimson, tattoo like marks beginning to run down his arms and up out of the collar of his shirt across his neck and up his cheek. However, this time they did not completely cover his skin. He opened his eyes and lifted his hands from the table, the sinuous movement of the colour pausing as he did so. He turned his head to the camera and stared into it for moment. It made a stunning picture. Bill's normally pale ivory skin had a deep red stripe up the side of his neck and onto his cheek. It divided into two, one trailing across his upper lip onto his other cheek and one going up over his eye and across his forehead where it disappeared under his chocolate brown hair. The contrasts between the white flesh and the red stain of Lilith's presence, the red skin and the brilliant blue of his eye were shocking and totally inexplicable. You only had to look at Mike Daughtrey's face to see that this demonstration was the very last thing he had expected.

He pulled himself together with a visible effort. "Do you really expect us to believe that you are a God?" he asked in a slightly shaky voice.

Bill smiled gently. "Not at all" he said. "I have no interest whatsoever in what you believe."

"None of us do" explained Ulrich. "As Miss Morgan astutely pointed out in one of our meetings, it doesn't really matter whether humans accept it or not. Just that we do."

That was pretty much the end of the interview. After wrapping up, a rather shaken Mike Daughtrey wished his viewers a good night and that was that.

Bill politely walked him to his car, although I was sure that Mike would rather have stayed as far away from him as possible. From a rather superior attitude of slight condescension, he now appeared extremely nervous in Bill's company. Bill was obviously well aware of this and insisted, unusually for him, on shaking his hand. Mike could not seem to tear his eyes away from the red stain that spiralled down Bill's arm and snaked out across the back of his hand. He winked at me over Mike's head as he showed him to the door.

Ulrich, Lucy and I were sitting in the kitchen with Gerry and Susie, waiting for the technicians to finish in the dining room when Bill came back in.

"Well, that may have been quite satisfying from your point of view but I'm not sure it was an entirely good idea" I said rather crossly.

Bill raised an eyebrow. "Why on earth not?" he asked, glancing over at Ulrich for support.

"I can't see any reason to hide it from the media" said Ulrich. "We want them to believe that we're being open and honest with them after all."

"We are….aren't we?" asked Gerry.

"The last time you did that we were inundated with vampires wanting to see you!" I exclaimed. "I could hardly get out of the house after dark for weeks!"

Ulrich smiled. "Well perhaps now would be a good time to flee the country then" he suggested.

We all stared at him showing various degrees of surprise. "What? Why would I flee the country?" asked Bill.

"Well, we've received an invitation from our Authority Chancellors in the US" explained Ulrich. "Naturally, they want to meet you, talk to you, talk to Lilith in fact."

Bill looked horrified. "You want me to go on tour!"

There was quite a bit of sniggering at this image but Ulrich somehow managed to keep a straight face. "They have invited you to visit New York and Chicago" he said. "Obviously they expect you to bring your entourage with you…." He swept his hand around to encompass the rest of us.

Bill's face was a picture. "My what?" he asked.

Ulrich gave in and laughed. "Well all right, whatever you want to call them, your staff, family…where is Azaria by the way?" he asked looking around as if he expected her to be hiding somewhere.

"Oh she's off somewhere with Dan I expect" said Bill. "So she's invited as well? is there any limit to this "entourage"? and who's paying for this anyway?"

"The Authority will pick up any expenses" said Ulrich. "We have several private jets available, one of them will be placed at your disposal. You may take whoever you wish to accompany you, Bill…you're a God, remember? Or at least, the host of one."

"Right!" Bill gave a little laugh. "Like I could let that slip my mind occasionally!" Suddenly his eyes lost their focus and he stood quite still for a moment. "We would fly" he said quietly. Gerry opened his mouth to speak but I stopped him. Bill smiled to himself, "yes it's perfectly safe, nothing will happen to me, don't worry!" He blinked and looked up. "Well, it appears that Lilith approves. Provided there's no risk of me getting hurt of course. She couldn't permit her host to be damaged in any way!" He turned to me with a smile. "It looks like we're going on holiday!"


	4. Chapter 4

I'd never had very much money. Not before I met Bill. I'd had an ordinary life, an ordinary office job and an ordinary house with, in my opinion, an extraordinarily expensive mortgage. My only real extravagance was the "Lady Eleanor". I'd flown before but it had been the usual story of getting to the airport several hours before the flight, waiting in a huge queue to check in, then waiting in a dull departure lounge with not enough seats and too many ridiculously expensive shops, even with no duty!

Well….I'd had no idea of how the other half lived!

Ulrich made all the usual travel arrangements with Anubis as the Authority's private jets were leased from them. Bill, Gerry and Azaria had three extremely comfortable looking pods delivered to the Mill House the evening before we were due to leave. Ulrich was intending to accompany us as a representative of the European Chancellors of the Authority, but he and his security team would be meeting us at the airport.

Susie and I were packed and ready to go when, at the last minute, Dan drove up. Azaria would be delighted when she woke as he hadn't thought that he could get time off to accompany her but he had managed it after all. At one point she had almost decided to stay behind but Bill had persuaded her that it would be good for her to travel and to meet some influential vampires. "I've never really been particularly influential myself so you should make the most of this opportunity!" he told her firmly.

Everything had gone like clockwork except for one thing. The evening before we were due to leave Bill had called me into his study. I was in the kitchen washing a couple of dishes and I dried my hands and opened the study door. To my surprise he wasn't alone. A thin, nervous looking man in a dusty dark suit sat in the chair across from Bill's desk with a pile of paperwork in front of him. Bill got up and came across to me.

"Alex, sweetheart, come and sit down" he said putting his arm around my shoulders and directing me to another chair in front of the desk. "This is Mr Urquhart, he's a solicitor for the Authority. He has some papers for you to sign.

"Me?" I asked. "What do you want me to sign?"

He passed a pile of papers over and I picked up the top one and scanned it briefly. Then I read it again. I checked through the others. "Bill…these are stock transfer forms. Transferring your stocks and shares into my name!" I sat back in my chair as the implications of this began to sink in. "Bill? What's this all about?"

He came over, knelt down in front of my chair and took my hands in his. "I don't want you get upset over this Alex" he said quietly "but I honestly don't know what's going to happen to me."

"You mean, because of Lilith?" I asked, confused.

"Yes" he answered. "I cannot make a Will under English Law because…. well because technically, I'm already dead! But I want to be sure that if anything should happen to me, you'll be okay."

I sat in the office chair with tears starting in my eyes. "But I won't be okay Bill!" I said, "I'll be..."

Bill brought my hands up to his lips and kissed them. "Alex, please don't make this harder for me. I'm doing this for you, so that I can be sure you'll be taken care of, but I'm also doing it for me. I've got so many other things to think about at the moment, it would be a great weight off my mind to know that this was done. I trust you to look after Azaria for me if...well if anything were to happen."

"Do you really think that she might harm you?" I asked in a small voice. "She's a monster!"

"No...no she isn't Alex, not really." Bill sounded tired, worn out with fighting her.

"Life is much easier when you can write things off as monsters to be feared and hated. Sure, she might be trying to take over, but there's no point in hating her for it. Hate damages you and I'm damaged enough already! That would only damage me more."

I looked down at his pale, cool hands holding mine. I lifted them and kissed his fingers. "Okay, where do I sign?"

It took us about fifteen minutes to complete all the paperwork with both our signatures and by then Bill had transferred all his investments, his properties and his businesses to me. I hoped against hope that one day I would be able to give them back to him.

Finally Mr Urquhart shuffled the last of the papers and put them back in his briefcase. "Well congratulations Miss Morgan" he said as he got up to leave. "You're a very wealthy young woman!"

Bill gave me a weak smile and turned to escort him out. I had always hoped that someday, someone would say that to me but somehow, in my daydreams, I'd always felt much better about it than I did now.

So now I sat in one of the limos provided by the Authority and tried not to think of the implications of what Bill had done. It was just temporary, I told myself. He could have them back...sometime. Susie was chattering excitedly about the trip and I made a huge effort to join in. When we arrived at the airport the armoured truck with the vampires' pods inside had been driven straight onto the tarmac while we were escorted directly into a VIP lounge. Our luggage, together with our fellow travellers, was being loaded while we got ourselves a drink at the bar and relaxed. As I leaned on the bar and listened to Susie chatting I gave a sigh as I considered the irony of my situation. For the first time in my life I could probably have afforded pretty well anything in any of the upmarket duty free shops, but the only thing I wanted was being loaded into the sleek jet on the tarmac outside.

I had never set foot in a private jet before and it was a revelation. The jet leased by the Authority had a large lounge area up front containing a huge video screen and a bar which, as it was in front of the engines, was fairly quiet. To the rear was a storage area containing a small hold for the luggage and a larger area for storage of the vampires' travelling pods. These had already been loaded when we boarded and I was amused to see that they were each labelled with the name of the occupant.

There were two stewards on board, one male and one female plus one security guard. We were assured that further security would be available at JFK in New York. By this time I was so used to the Authority's security guards that I hardly noticed him until he smiled at me and said "Hi Miss Morgan, nice to see you again."

I glanced back and recognised the face. It was the same man who had driven the Authority's security team to Northern Spain when we were searching for Azaria. It took me a few seconds to dredge up the name from my memory. "Harry! Well hello. It's good to see you again."

He smiled. "You too Miss. It'll be nice to see Mr Compton again, and I never actually got to meet the young lady."

"You mean Azaria?" I asked. "Oh yes, she's on board too. Will you be joining us in New York or are you just on board for the flight?"

"Oh I'm going all the way!" he said with a grin. "I'll be in charge of your personal security in New York, Chicago and for the return flight."

"Great!" I said. I was genuinely pleased to see him again. I was getting tired of the faceless security guards both human and vampire who followed Bill around everywhere we went. At least now there was someone I knew something about. A human being that I could identify with. I began to feel a little more comfortable.

"Well. I need to go and check out the hold" he said. "I'll see you again soon."

He started off down the corridor and I stepped through into the large lounge area to find Susie and Dan already relaxing in the expensive looking leather armchairs. We strapped ourselves in for take off and in a remarkably short time we were airborne.

"Have you met Dan before?" I asked Susie as we relaxed in our seats sipping the champagne the steward offered us.

"No, actually I haven't" she said "Hi Dan, I understand you're Azaria's boyfriend?"

He grinned at her "Yes, that's right."

"You remember Chris?" I said to Susie, "Claudia's partner? Well Dan is Chris's brother." I turned to Dan, "Susie is Gerry's girlfriend."

"Oh, right" said Dan. "I've met Gerry, he seems nice."

"He's adorable!" said Susie with an infatuated sigh.

I laughed. "Oh come on Susie…he's a nightmare! Remember those camels?"

Dan looked totally confused. "Camels?"

We both laughed at his expression. "Well it was in Egypt!" said Susie. "He was just trying to blend in!"

I explained to Dan that Susie and I had met on a holiday in Egypt, where she had also met Gerry. He had arranged a trip to the Valley of the Kings and when we got off the boat across the Nile we had discovered that our transport to the Valley was half a dozen camels!

Dan started laughing too. "Oh man! I'd have paid good money to see Bill on a camel!" he said. "Please tell me you got pictures!"

The rest of the flight was taken up in good natured chat. I introduced them both to Harry who then discreetly moved off to the stewards' area. We drank some more champagne, ate a very good meal, watched a movie and by the time the captain announced that we were about to land in New York I felt that I knew Dan very much better. I was glad to realise that I liked him very much since I looked on Azaria as something between a daughter and a younger sister. Which was weird considering that she was, in fact, hundreds of years older than me! I also found it relaxing to be in the company of other humans who felt the same way as I did, who each had a vampire as a partner and loved them unconditionally. It made a change from normal humans who were generally either nervous around them or avoided them altogether.

On landing the plane taxied over to a small VIP reception area and Harry asked us politely to remain on board while he sorted out our Security and Immigration. Looking out of the window I saw that it was nearly dusk and noticed a fork lift unloading the vampires pods and heading into the reception area via a large set of warehouse style doors. It looked as though they'd be up before we got off the plane.

* * *

I waited until Azaria was settled in the comfortable pod before getting into my own. She had a slight tendency to claustrophobia, unusual in a vampire, but understandable when you knew that she had spent nearly five hundred years locked in a coffin alone and terrified. She insisted on testing the internal locking mechanism to assure herself that she could open the pod before giving me a little smile and relaxing.

In less than an hour the sun had risen and we had drifted off into our daytime sleep. But it seemed that I was not to dream alone. _Tell me about where we are going William?_ said a voice. I felt that I was floating in darkness and could hear the voice in my head. Am I asleep? I asked. _Yes of course,_ came the voice. I thought we had agreed that you would not try to influence me in my sleep! Can I not trust your word Lilith? _I am not trying to influence you! _The voice sounded indignant that I should not trust her, _I ask only for information. Can we not have a civilized conversation?_ Her voice had become softer, more persuasive. I sighed. Very well, we are going to America. On the other side of the Atlantic Ocean, you remember the map I showed you? _On an aircraft? A machine which flies? _Yes. That's right. _Mortals made this "aircraft"? _I laughed, yes...I keep telling you they, I paused for a moment. No we, have made many great leaps forward in technology in the past few hundred years.

_But you still sleep in a coffin, like the monsters in the fairy tales!_ Now you know that's not true! This is only for travelling in, and it's far from a coffin anyway. How many coffins have internet access and bluetooth? I could feel her thinking about this. _This is a method of communicating over great distances? I have seen this in your thoughts._ That's right. I could feel myself smiling and I could somehow also feel Lilith's satisfaction at her new knowledge. _This country we are to visit, it is where you were born a mortal? Where you were turned a century and a half ago?_ Yes that's right. She thought about this for a while.

_You have strength William, more than you should for your age. Too much to have come from your little fae friend. _You recognised that in her then? I thought. _Oh yes, the power in you is not ours though. It is like hers but not quite the same, much stronger. Where did you get it my friend? _I wondered for a moment how she would react to this knowledge. Well that would have been from Mab. There was a shocked silence. _Mab? Queen Mab? The Winter Queen? She gifted you with the power of ice and fire?_ The voice was astonished. _Why would she do that? Do you have any idea how many mortal men have begged Mab for power and died for it? _Ah, but I am not a mortal man am I? And besides they all wanted power for themselves and I did not.

Lilith seemed to think about this. _Why would anyone want power for any other reason?_ I smiled to myself. Oh Lily, somehow I just knew you would not understand that. I felt a slight tingling sensation which I was sure was suppressed laughter. _Oh my! I have an affectionate nickname now? You're falling for my charms at last __William dear! I'm honoured you know. If Mab has gifted you with power as well then I'm in good company._ There was a pause. _So? Who was the power for if not yourself? Your lovely Alex perhaps? _It was for my daughter, Azaria. You have access to my memories, you know the story of how we found her and rescued her. Well, she was kidnapped by a group of men who wished to use her to do us harm. I knew where she was but I didn't have the strength to take her back from the vampire who guarded her so I asked Mab if she would help me. Since Azaria is her granddaughter, she agreed. _Hmm...that's a greatly simplified version. Very few vampires even know of Mab and even fewer would dare to ask her for favours. She must approve of you William._ I sighed. What can I say? I'm just a magnet for powerful women!

There was another tingle of laughter. _Azaria now, you call her your child but she is not. You did not make her, you have never been a maker._ No she is not my child but I care for her as much as if she was. _But why?_ She appeared to be genuinely struggling to understand. _You did not even know her. _I paused for a moment, trying to find a way to explain it. When I heard what had happened to her, how she had suffered, I felt sorry for her. Have you never felt compassion for anyone? She was silent. What about Berenice, she served you faithfully for two thousand years! _She was the Guardian. It was her appointed task. There had been others before her, her maker Mekure, and there would be others after her. _Is there no one that you care for? I could almost feel her thinking about this. _There is you, William..._ The thought was quiet, hesitant, as though she were either not quite sure about this, or perhaps did not want to admit it.

I was shocked into silence for a moment. Me? _Yes_. What exactly do you feel for me? _I...I wish to protect you William. I know that you wish to continue your existence here and so if anyone were to try to do you harm I should destroy them._ Okay...well that's a start I suppose. When you say that you know how I feel, what you are feeling is empathy, being able to understand how others feel is a big part of being human, well done! _Don't patronise me William!_ I smiled to myself, now try to understand that I could empathise with Azaria, I could understand her pain and her fear and feel sorrow for it even though I did not know her at the time. There was another silence. _I will consider this._ I waited for a few moments but there was no further comment. After a while I drifted back into a deeper sleep in a blissful peace.


	5. Chapter 5

We walked into the VIP reception area to find Bill, Gerry and Azaria already there. Azaria spotted Dan and raced over to us, flinging herself into his arms.

"Dan! I thought you weren't coming with us!" she cried happily.

"I managed to get leave at the last minute" he said, grinning at her obvious excitement.

I gave Bill a hug. "Good flight?" I asked, thinking he looked a little tired.

"Yes, mostly" he said. "Lilith kept me talking for quite a while. Just questions…..she seems to be getting more interested in the modern world!"

I tucked my arm under his elbow and laid my head on his shoulder. "Are you okay?" I whispered. "She's not giving you a hard time?"

"No, not at all. She's just curious, which I can't help thinking is a good thing. The more she learns about us the more likely it is that she'll begin to understand us better." He smiled down at me. "Come on, Ulrich's arranged for cars to take us to the hotel. We've been waiting for you to clear immigration. All the bags are in the cars already."

We headed out of the airport to find a convoy of vehicles waiting in a private area surrounded by the familiar, black clad, security guards of the Authority. I looked back towards the main entrance. Crowds of people were pouring out of the airport, pulling bags and pushing trolleys, yellow taxis were racing around everywhere, no I thought to myself, they're cabs – you're in New York now! Bill put his hand in the small of my back and steered me gently towards the first of the blacked out cars. Ulrich was just getting into the front seat and holding the rear door open was Harry.

I smiled at him as I climbed in. "Good evening Miss, good evening Mr Compton" he said politely, closing the door behind us and getting into the driver's seat. I stared out of the window into the darkness as we headed out towards Manhattan in a tight group with a blacked out security van in the lead. I shifted over on the seat so that I could cuddle up to Bill.

"So, where are we going, do you know?" I asked.

"We're going to The Lord Ruthven Hotel." He explained. "It's in the Upper West Side, overlooking Central Park. The Authority have reserved the whole of the top floor for us, four suites, one for each couple and one for Ulrich." He smiled at me, "the view should be amazing."

"Who was Lord Ruthven?" I asked. "The name rings a bell but I can't remember where I've heard it before."

"Lord Ruthven was a character in a short story by John Polidori. He was probably the first vampire to appear in English Literature. Some say he was based on Lord Byron" said Bill with a smile. "The story was written for a competition between four friends, Mary and Percy Shelley, Lord Byron and Polidori."

"Oh yes! I remember now. They were on holiday by Lake Geneva and wanted to see who could write the best horror story. That was when Mary Shelley wrote "Frankenstein!" " I said, interrupting him excitedly. "I knew I'd heard the name before!"

"I'm always amazed at the things you know!" said Bill, looking down at me with a proprietorial smile.

I laughed. "You know me, I read a lot!"

We sat comfortably together and watched the lights of the city fly past until we pulled up under the canopy of an enormous building which reminded me of the one in "Ghostbusters" I assumed it was an old apartment building which had been converted, as so many places had been since the Revelation, into a Hotel suitable for vampires. I stared out of the car window watching security men pour out of the van and swarm into the hotel past a very surprised looking doorman. After a moment one came back out and spoke quietly to Harry, who got out of the car and opened our doors. "Everything checks out okay Sir" he said to Ulrich.

"Excellent!" said Ulrich, turning to watch as Bill and I climbed out of the car after him. "Have our bags sent up will you?"

I stepped out of the car onto the pavement under a wide green canopy which stretched across the entrance to the Hotel. There were several doors on either side of the main entrance and I saw a porter pushing a trolley full of bags through one of them. I glanced across the wide street to see a stone wall with trees beyond it. That must be Central Park, I thought. I resolved not to sleep all day but to get to do some sightseeing while I was here. The others had arrived by now and Azaria was looking around her wide-eyed with excitement.

"I can't believe I'm actually in New York!" she said, practically twitching with excitement. "Oh Bill, can we go and explore later?"

"I'm going to be far too busy I'm afraid! We have meetings set up later to arrange a schedule but you and Dan can go and look around if you like, on one condition." Azaria's face fell instantly. "You must take a couple of security guards with you."

"Oh must we, really?" she whined.

"Yes, you absolutely must!" said Bill firmly. "It's well known that I consider you to be as dear to me as if you were my own progeny. Anyone who wishes to get to me need only threaten to harm you. Please Azaria, do this for me?"

Dan put his hand on her arm. "He's right. You know he is" he said. "I couldn't protect you against a couple of humans back in Oxford that time. I'd have no chance at all against vampires!"

She sighed. "Yes, I suppose you're right. Okay, we'll take some security."

Bill shot Dan a grateful look and he smiled back. By this time everything was unloaded and we headed into the foyer where we were each given a key which sent the elevator to the private floor at the top of the building where the suites were located. Minutes later Bill opened the door to our suite. I stood in the doorway with my mouth open. There was a small landing and three steps down to a wide room containing two couches placed on either side of the first of two huge picture windows looking out over Central Park. The other window was to the right of the first and I looked around the corner to see another room containing two of the biggest beds I had ever seen! Just off this bedroom was another door through which I could see an enormous bathroom. I estimated that the floor area of the suite was about twice that of my house!

"Wow!" I hopped down the steps and jumped onto one of the beds. "A whole bed each!"

Bill came up behind me and put his arms around me. "Oh no you don't Miss!" he murmured into my ear. I didn't bring you all this way so that you could sleep in a separate bed!"

I chuckled and leaned back against him. "As if I would!" I said. I wriggled out of his arms and sat on the bed looking at him seriously. "Does this mean I'll have to take security guards with me if I want to go out exploring, or to do a little shopping?" I asked.

"I'm afraid so yes." He said, sitting down on the bed next to me. "The Authority has put out quite a lot of publicity about this visit and not every vampire agrees with their goals as you well know! Ulrich has insisted that security is tight. I think he's afraid that if anything happened to you I'd stop at nothing to get you back, that I'd simply kill anything that stood in my way, and with Lilith's strength they wouldn't be able to stop me." He gave me a look that was so like Ulrich that I almost laughed. "The bad publicity would be disastrous!"

I reached up and slipped my hand into his thick dark hair. "And would you?" I asked quietly.

There was a long pause. "Yes" he whispered. "I'm afraid I probably would."

I felt the weight of an enormous responsibility settle around me. "Guess I'd better be careful then!" I said with a tiny smile.

Bill pulled me to him and kissed me. "Yes, you do that."

We sat together for a while holding hands and kissing, enjoying being alone together. The Bill sighed and said "you might need to do some shopping actually."

I narrowed my eyes suspiciously. "Why?"

"Now promise you won't be mad at me!" he said.

"Why? What have you done?" I asked.

"Ulrich got a text while we were waiting for you at the airport. There's a big formal party arranged for us….."

I went pale. "Please say it's not tonight?"

"No, no…." I breathed again. "Tomorrow night."

"Arghh!...that only gives me tomorrow to shop! What will I need do you think? I brought that grey dress I wore in Amsterdam, will that do?"

"It's beautiful and I love it, but there will be quite a few vampires there who were in Amsterdam…..I believe ladies hate to be seen in the same outfit twice…." He looked at me questioningly.

"Damn it! I can't afford to buy a new dress at New York prices….oh, wait!" I gave him an evil little smile. "I can afford it now though can't I?"

He laughed. "You know I'd be delighted to pay for a new dress for you, but I won't have to. Here….." He reached into his wallet and pulled out a plain matt black plastic card with a curious symbol on it. It appeared to be a letter A in some highly gothic font, entwined with a pair of stylized fangs.

He handed it to me with a little flourish. "This" he explained "is a charge card to one of the Authority's accounts."

I took the card carefully, as though I were afraid that it would bite me. "Wow! an Authority card!" I said. "You mean I'm authorised to use this?"

"Ulrich gave me one for each of us. They agreed to meet all our expenses remember?" He watched me turning the card over in my fingers. "Just don't go mad with it okay? I'll probably have to explain any outrageous expenditure!"

"Okay!" I hopped off the bed and put the card in my handbag. "If I'm going out tomorrow shopping I'll need to get some sleep tonight." I said.

Bill smiled. "That's okay. We have some meetings set up for later tonight and I expect they'll probably go on 'til dawn. But for now I think I'd like a nice relaxing bath."

I walked over and opened the bathroom door. I stopped dead and stood staring into the bathroom. One wall was lined with a long marble shelf with two sinks carved into it. The wall itself was made up entirely of a huge mirror. In the far corner was a large shower cubicle with a curved front and next to it was an enormous bath. It too was set in a corner and there were steps up to the curved side. On the wall between the door and the bath was a heated towel rail hung with huge fluffy towels with a large letter R embroidered on them. On the shelf beside the sinks were two wicker baskets containing fluffy white facecloths and a collection of bottles containing various soaps, creams and lotions.

I looked back at Bill who was lying on the bed watching me. "Why is it that vampire hotels always have these amazing bathrooms?" I asked.

He laughed. "I have no idea!" he said. "Although...all the vampires I know love to bathe. Maybe it's the heat of the water. Our cold flesh soaks it up until we feel almost normal again."

I pushed the plug into the bath and turned on the taps, then hiked back across the enormous suite to my suitcase and began to unpack.

Half an hour later we were lying together in the hot water, Bill talking idly to me and gently stroking my stomach in a slow rhythm. I was lying against him, my head on his shoulder, his arm around me holding me close to him. I had poured oil from one of the little bottles into the bath and Bill's hand felt slippery on my skin as he moved gradually down my stomach with each stroke. I reached up to the edge of the bath for the soap and began to rub my soapy hands over Bill's chest, sliding my hands down over his stomach and watching with amusement as his thick, heavy shaft began to stiffen and twitch beneath the water like some marine monster with a life of its own.

"Lilith showed me a memory" he said suddenly. "A memory of you washing me in the shower at Darius's house."

I paused for a moment and then continued with my gentle stroking. "You didn't remember that?" I asked softly.

"No" he said, his eyes distant and blank. "Those few days are almost a complete blank, still. I don't think I want to remember. But she showed me that." He turned and looked into my eyes with a worried, pained expression. "I saw you kneeling at my feet, cleaning the blood off my legs. I could see the fear in your eyes." He leaned forward and kissed me gently at first and then harder, more passionately. "Promise me something" he murmured. If anything should happen, if I should become ...dangerous, promise me you'll stay away this time. I couldn't bear to see that again, to know that I had hurt you would kill me Alex."

I looked into his brilliant azure eyes, slightly dulled with fear for me and I knew that I could never do what he asked. I could never stand aside and watch him fall under Lilith's influence. But I knew he needed this reassurance from me. He was in a difficult position, physically incredibly powerful but mentally slightly fragile. The last thing he needed was to be worrying about me.

"Okay, I promise." I said, crossing my fingers behind my back.

He pulled me closer and as his eager mouth closed over mine, as he lifted me up on top of him, massaging the slippery bath oils into my skin and slid his hand down between us shifting his body slightly to allow his iron hard member to slide into me I thought "It might never happen anyway" and gave myself up to him.

* * *

I woke slowly, drifting up from the depths of sleep. From a dream where Bill and I lay locked together, our bodies entwined and exhausted. We had teased and stroked each other's bodies for what seemed like hours. Giving each other pleasure using our hands, our tongues, our mouths until we could stand it no longer and I begged him, with tears in my eyes, to take me. How he managed to hold back for so long I would never understand as he was so aroused that when he eventually entered me I felt that I would die, that my body would split apart. But of course he was gentle and careful with me as he always was and he held me tenderly, moving slowly until I screamed and pleaded for more.

By the time the alarm on Bill's phone went off to tell him that he needed to get up for his meeting I felt as though my body was on fire and I trembled at his every touch. We were kneeling upright on the bed, Bill behind me, holding me tight in his arms and I had almost passed out from the intensity of it. I laid my head back on his shoulder and I could hear him growling and snarling possessively over my body, and that was fine by me. I belonged to him, he owned me and could do anything he wished with me.

I sighed with remembered pleasure and opened my eyes. The room was dark as the automatic shutters had come down at dawn. I looked down at Bill who was sprawled across the other side of the enormous bed, his beautiful face still and cold. The contrast between this and the fire and passion he had exhibited last night was overwhelming. With a little shiver I slipped out of the bed quietly so as not to disturb his sleep and headed for the bathroom. There were a couple of opened bottles on the side of the bath and a huge fluffy towel trailing onto the floor. I smiled to myself, recalling how Bill had wrapped me up in a towel and carried me back to the bedroom when the intensity of his passion for me had rendered me incapable of standing up on my own!

I had tidied up the bathroom, had a shower and was cleaning my teeth when I heard a tentative knock at the door. Pulling on a big fluffy dressing gown with "Lord Ruthven" embroidered on the back I went to the door and peeped out. Susie stood outside in a matching dressing gown.

"Oh good! You're awake." She said. "I was afraid I might have disturbed you."

"No, that's fine, come in" I said, opening the door fully. She slipped inside and we went over to one of the sofas. I noticed her glance across the suite to the huge rumpled bed and was relieved that I had thought to pull the sheets up over Bill's still form. I don't even know why I do it, I mean…..it's not as if he'll feel the cold! But somehow it doesn't seem right, especially after we've made love, to leave his completely naked body uncovered! I stopped for a moment thinking. He'd been to a meeting last night after I'd fallen asleep, so he must have got dressed. That meant that he must have stripped again and come back to bed naked. I smiled to myself. I bet he's hoping for another bout when he wakes up! I thought. He's insatiable!

I sat down on the sofa next to Susie, shifting a little to ease the twinge of delicious soreness Bill's efforts of the previous night had left. She raised an eyebrow and grinned wickedly at me. "You too huh?" In seconds we were both leaning back on the sofa giggling like fools.

"What I intended to ask" giggled Susie. "Was if you'd like to come down for some lunch and then I thought we could go out and take a look around? Gerry tells me there's a party tonight and I need to get something suitable to wear.

"Me too" I answered. "That's a good idea, we should go together, especially since we'll need security with us. Do you think Dan would like to come?"

"No idea!" she said. It's different for men, they can just hire a dinner suit. Let's knock on the door anyway, just in case."

We slipped out of our suite and crossed the private hallway to Azaria's. Susie gave a little tap on the door but there was no response.

"He's probably worn out, the poor lamb!" she sniggered. "Lads these days – they just don't have the stamina!"

I was still giggling when I got downstairs and met Susie in the restaurant. Like most vampire hotels they were used to people wanting food at odd hours and there was a vast choice of meals available at all hours of the day and night. Since it was midday I ordered a cheese and mushroom omelette and, since I had just woken up, a large coffee. Susie studied the menu for five minutes and then decided to join me.

The coffee arrived almost immediately in a large steaming pot which I grasped like a drowning man clutching at a straw. Pouring us both a cup I asked "any idea how we get hold of security?"

Susie took a gulp of the hot coffee. "Mmm…..that's good. Ask at Reception I guess?"

We had a leisurely lunch, chatting idly and then wandered out to reception. I was wearing my usual outfit of battered jeans and a T shirt and the rather snooty young man behind the reception desk looked far from impressed. I saw him eyeing us suspiciously as we approached and I leaned companionably on the desk and asked. "Can you help us please? We need to get hold of Security."

"Hotel Security?" He asked looking down his nose at me as though he were about to summon them anyway to have me thrown out.

"No" I said patiently. "My personal security."

"Your personal security?" he repeated in the most sceptical tone of voice I had ever heard.

"That's right, we're with the Vampire Authority. Chancellor Von Shröeder's party."

He had a sudden change of heart and rushed across to press a button behind the desk. "Certainly Miss!" he said, looking slightly pale. They'll be here in a moment. Sure enough, in a moment a door behind the desk opened and Harry came out in his black combat gear with an actual submachine gun slung over one shoulder! The young man went a few shades paler.

"Hello Miss Morgan" said Harry, politely.

"Oh Harry, call me Alex please!" I said.

He smiled. "Better not Miss, Herr Von Shröeder wouldn't approve."

"Okay, whatever you say. Susie and I need a couple of your guys to escort us. We've been given strict instructions not to set foot outside the Hotel without some security guards!"

"Certainly Miss, I've had the same instructions myself." He tapped a tiny mike attached to an earphone and snapped "Doug, Stu, out here, on the double!" Seconds later two young men came out of the office in matching black combat gear, also armed to the teeth. "Right, this is Douglas" said Harry indicating one of the young men, "and this is Stuart. They'll look after you, or they'll have me to answer to" he said sternly, glaring at them. "Although if anything happens to this young lady, believe me you'll rather I killed you myself before Mr Compton gets hold of you!"

I leaned back against the desk and eyed the two rather worried looking security guards. "Well, we've got a real treat for you boys! We're going shopping!"


	6. Chapter 6

Harry ordered a car to be sent round and as soon as it arrived Susie and I were escorted to it and driven off, Stuart sitting in front with the driver and Douglas in the back with us. At least I think it was that way round. I had to admit that I wasn't quite sure which was which!

As we left the Hotel I noticed a small group of people with placards outside. I guessed it was some church group as I saw the ubiquitous "God Hates Fangs" sign.

"Who are those people?" I asked Doug..., or possibly Stu.

He glanced back out of the rear view window. "Fellowship of the Sun probably. They tend to follow members of the Authority around and there are quite a few staying in the Hotel at the moment." He gave me a little smile. "Nothing to worry about."

I wasn't so sure about that myself. "I've come up against guys like that before and they've definitely worried me!" I said, twisting my head to look back through the traffic.

He sat up a little straighter. "Yes. I heard about that Miss. Well, that's what we're here for, to make sure you don't need to worry!"

I looked over at him, he looked calm and competent. I could see the handle of a long blade in a sheath attached to his boot and there was a wooden baton attached to his belt which came to a point at the end and was capped with silver. He had an automatic pistol in a holster at his side and a pouch containing spare clips next to it which I suspected might contain wooden bullets. He appeared relaxed and confident in his ability to handle any situation, either with humans or vampires. I began to feel a little more comfortable.

Well, they may have been highly trained security guards, proficient in black ops training and able to handle threats from both humans and the undead, but when it came to shopping Susie and I left them standing! With the spending power of the Authority behind us we headed straight for Fifth Avenue. We stared in amazement into the windows of Jewellery stores like Tiffany, Mikimoto and Van Cleef and Arpels, wandered for hours through Saks and Bergdorf Goodman and gazed in awe at the futuristic design of the Apple Store. Finally, trailing our security team, we found a café and sat down for a well earned rest.

"Won't you join us for a coffee?" I asked as Susie and I sat down.

"No thank you Miss" said Doug, his eyes flicking over the room, taking in exits and obstacles while Stu leaned casually on the counter and watched the entrance. "You go ahead and just try and ignore us."

"Okay!" Susie and I ordered coffees and sat down to admire each other's purchases.

To be fair, we hadn't gone completely mad! We had picked up a fair amount of toiletries and make up. Things like fruit scented bodywash and shampoo and a few bottles of expensive perfume. Despite...or on consideration, perhaps because of, our experiences the previous night we had both purchased some extremely sexy and completely inappropriate underwear. This had involved a lot of giggling and asking each other if we thought Bill or Gerry would like this, or that. Susie had bought herself a pair of beige court shoes which she insisted would be ideal for the party and would match the coffee coloured dress she had brought from England. I had indulged myself with some perfume and make up but my prize was the dress.

I had looked at half a dozen which I thought might be suitable before I spotted it. At first I wasn't sure, I usually went for black or grey, following my instinct to blend into the background, and this was red! Not a bright scarlet, I'd never have considered that, but a deep, rich, dark red. Besides, it wasn't the colour which had attracted me but the shape. The dress was made of a heavy satin. It had a square neck, cut low and a tight bodice fitted to the hips. There was a flat plain panel at the front of the skirt, the rest of which was full, the back overlaid with a ruched black net. The sleeves were long and wide giving it a somewhat medieval look. The bodice was covered in a thin black net, encrusted with tiny crystals. It looked slightly old fashioned and somehow I felt sure that Bill would like it. I strolled around the boutique eyeing it from various angles, too nervous to ask to try it on at first.

"What have you spotted?" asked Susie, watching me carefully.

"That one" I answered quietly. "The deep red. What do you think?"

"Hmm...nice. The colour would look good with your hair. What jewellery were you thinking of wearing?"

"Well, Bill bought me a gold pendant with a big ruby shaped like a teardrop suspended from it. That would work wouldn't it?" I asked tentatively.

"Oh yes! That sounds ideal. Come on let's see you try it on."

Susie strolled confidently over to the immaculate assistant who gave us the sort of look that Julia Roberts got in "Pretty Woman" when she was trying to shop in Rodeo Drive. "My friend would like to try this" she said brightly, indicating the dress.

"Of course Madam" she said. "May I ask how Madam will be paying if you find it suitable?"

I fished in my handbag and pulled out the Authority Charge Card. "I'll be using this." She took the card and looked at it blankly, it was obvious that she'd never seen one before.

"Excuse me one moment Madam!" she said, pressing a bell on the counter.

Susie and I glanced at each other. So far no-one had even looked at the cards. We had just slipped them into the machines and everything had gone through with no problems. A curtain behind the counter was suddenly pulled back and an older woman came out and raised an eyebrow at the assistant. She held out the card without a word and Susie and I watched as the older woman's expression changed from bored to astonished in a matter of seconds.

She turned to me. "Is...is this a card from the Vampire Authority?" she asked in a hushed voice.

"That's right!" I said with a big smile. "Is there a problem?"

"No...no problem at all. I've heard of these but I've never actually seen one before." She smiled at me. "Please come this way Madam." She looked back over her shoulder at the astonished assistant. "Isobel!" she snapped. "The dress!"

Well, it had fitted perfectly. The tight crystal encrusted bodice held me firmly and pushed my ample breasts up, giving me a perfect expanse of pale cleavage in which to display the ruby necklace. But somehow the long, elegant sleeves ensured that it didn't look too revealing. Susie was correct in assuming that it would look good with my black hair and I decided to wear it down, the way Bill liked it. It fell in soft curls over my shoulders and I felt like a princess in a slightly gothic fairy tale!

I had managed to find a lipstick and a nail polish in exactly the right shade of red to match the dress and so, on consideration we decided to head back to the Lord Ruthven. Looking around I caught Doug's eye and he came over to our table.

"I think we'd like to go back to the Hotel now Doug." I said.

"Of course Miss" he said, turning away and tapping the earpiece. He said some kind of codeword and in a few minutes the car was pulling up outside.

Susie and I parted in the little private foyer on the top floor of the Lord Ruthven and headed to our respective suites.

I carefully unpacked the dress and hung it in the large wardrobe, checking that everything else I needed for the party was to hand. Then, with a quick glance at Bill's still form, I peeled off my clothes, put on some of my new purchases, climbed into bed beside him and began to carefully paint my nails while I waited for the sun to set.

The nail polish had hardened and I was leaning against the headboard reading a book when I felt his eyes on me. "Well good evening Miss Morgan" he drawled, his eyes wide as he took in my skimpy new baby doll nightdress.

"Good evening Mr Compton" I said politely. "Did you sleep well?"

"Very well indeed thank you." he replied equally politely. "I take it that you've been shopping? I feel sure I'd remember that outfit if I'd ever seen it before!"

The black nightdress was short enough for the lace trim to just brush my buttocks and was almost entirely transparent. Beneath it I wore a matching lace thong which, although hideously uncomfortable, judging by the shape of the sheet draped over Bill's hips, was having the desired effect!

I smiled down at him. "Yes, Susie and I had a very successful day thank you."

"I can see that!" he said. "I hope you bought something a little more...conservative for the party? Not that I don't find that outfit quite charming mind you." he added quickly.

"Charming huh?" I said, putting down my book and eyeing the thin cotton sheet, which appeared to be enhancing, rather than concealing his enormous erection.

He looked down at himself with a guilty little grin. "Oops!" he said.

I shifted on the pillows and turned to him, the thin chiffon of the nightdress catching on my nipples which had stiffened in the cool air-conditioned atmosphere.

He gave a soft growl and suddenly I was flat on my back on the bed and he was crouching over me, his soft mouth sucking at my breast through the thin chiffon. He took the ribbon which held the nightdress closed over my breasts between his teeth and tugged at it, giving another little growl of satisfaction when the transparent nightdress fell open. His hands slipped underneath me and I felt his fingers tracing the lace of the thong down between my buttocks, lifting me up to give him room to explore. As he raised me up slightly I could feel his stiff manhood pressing urgently against my stomach as if on some independent quest of its own as his fingers explored underneath the thin, and now damp lace.

I pushed my hand down between us, easing it between his stomach and mine until I reached it and felt his groan of pleasure as I curled my fingers around him. His erection leaped up eagerly into my hand and I felt Bill's thigh muscles tighten and then begin to shudder with anticipation as I stroked the cool, soft skin, squeezing him gently but firmly in my hand. He leaned forward, resting his forehead gently against mine and looking down into my eyes as, without a word, he pulled aside the narrow strip of lace and I pushed the head of his manhood between my legs and into the warm soft opening which had been concealed beneath the lace.

He gave a long sigh and sank himself deeply into me, one hand in the small of my back, steadying me against him. I relaxed back into the pillows, opening myself up to the flood of delicious pleasure coming through the blood bond. Pleasure that Bill was feeling, that my body was giving to him. I pulled my knees up and flung my legs around his hips, pulling him deeper inside me, wanting more and more of him. He shifted his position slightly and suddenly, as he moved I could feel the strip of lace moving with him, rubbing on my delicate flesh. After just a few strokes I felt that every nerve in my loins was on fire and I began to moan his name softly to myself as the muscular walls around him began to contract and collapse around him, squeezing him and driving him to his own climax.

I lay limp in Bill's arms, completely relaxed. "We should be getting ready for the party." I said drowsily.

"Speaking of the party….there's something I think we should do first" murmured Bill softly into my ear.

"Hmm….let me see if I can guess what it is" I whispered, turning my head towards him for a kiss.

"Well yes…..there's that" he agreed. "But that wasn't what I had in mind actually!"

I blinked at him. "You're thinking of something else? That's got to be a first!"

Bill grasped my upper arms and pinned me down to the bed. "You are a bad, bad girl!" he said grinning down at me.

"Oh I know!" I sighed. "I just can't help it. And don't you just love it!"

He smiled down at me. "But seriously now, what I was thinking was…it might be a good idea for you to drink from me before we go out tonight."

I pulled away from him and sat up. "What! Why would you suggest that? I haven't had your blood since…..well, since before…" I faltered to a stop for a moment. "Why now? and why risk it after what happened the last time?"

He lay back against the pillows, considering. "Well as to why…..you need it to reinforce the bond." He took my hand between both of his and lifted it to his lips. "I need to be able to feel you, to know that you're safe or…if you're in danger." I smiled gently at him, realising that, for him, this was the most important consideration. "As to why now, well…..I'm always a little twitchy bringing you into the company of other vampires, particularly those I don't know. I can't imagine that anyone would dare to try to take you from me, but I can't be too careful." He kissed my hand.

"I almost lost you once. I swear I will never lose you again!" He reached down and drew his fingertip down my cheek. "As for what happened last time, my blood is very much more powerful now and I was not fully in control of myself at the time, I only knew that I wanted to help you. You were injured, badly. The pain you felt when you took that drop of blood was your body healing itself too fast. You shouldn't take too much, only a mouthful, but I think we should do this."

He lay down on his back and pulled me closer, encouraging me to get on top of him. I smiled, thinking that perhaps there was another reason as well. I had forgotten how much he loved this, how exciting he found it. I swung myself astride his hips, the thin transparent fabric of my nightdress brushing over his stomach and leaned down to kiss the soft skin at the base of his throat. He shuddered at the touch of my lips and I felt his manhood spring up and press urgently against my buttocks. Oh yes! This was definitely another reason! I screwed up my courage, I always found it difficult to do this since my teeth were not anything like as sharp as his, they weren't designed for this, but I knew how much he wanted it and so I bit down hard and felt his blood ooze between my lips.

For a moment I almost panicked, remembering the last time I had taken his blood. Then I calmed myself and swallowed the small amount on my tongue. I paused, tense, waiting to see what would happen, but there was nothing but a deep warmth, which arose in the pit of my stomach and began to slowly spread outwards heating my flesh. I felt Bill's hands on my hips moving downwards, sliding under my bottom and lifting me up. I sealed my lips around the little wound I had made and sucked hard filling my mouth with his delicious blood and swallowing it. He groaned, pressing his head back against the pillow and I felt his searching fingers slip under the strip of lace between my legs and rip it away as he pushed me down onto his swollen manhood.

I cried out as he rammed himself up into me but the burst of fire from my stomach burned out the brief pain and I rode him through his bucking twisting climax until he dragged me over the edge of ecstasy with him.

I found myself lying limp in Bill's arms for the second time. "We really should be getting ready for the party this time." I said.

Bill rolled onto his side, propping himself up on his elbow and looked down at me. "I am" he said. "I need to be relaxed and you relax me more than anything else!" He leaned down and kissed me, lightly at first, his lips just brushing across mine and then more deeply. I felt his arm slip around my waist pulling me closer. I pulled back from him reluctantly.

"You might be ready but I'm certainly not. I need to take a shower."

He brightened up immediately. "I'll join you!" he smiled enthusiastically.

"No, no you won't!" I said wriggling out of his grasp. "If you get in that shower with me it'll be hours before we get out!"

"That's very true" he nodded solemnly. "You just won't be able to keep your hands off me!"

I glared at him and he fell back, laughing, giving me the opportunity to slip out of the bed and into the bathroom. I had washed my hair earlier and tucked it up under a cap while I showered so I was sitting at the dressing table in a fluffy dressing gown putting on my make up when Bill eventually climbed out of bed.

I had required some help in the shop to get into the dress owing to the numerous little hooks and eyes that fastened up the back. I didn't want Bill to help me as I wanted to surprise him so when he went into the bathroom to take a shower I slipped next door to Susie's suite and she chased Gerry out of the bedroom and helped me get the dress on.

"Well? What do you think?" I asked anxiously, turning my body to look over my shoulder at the full skirt. There was no answer and I looked back at Susie who was standing back and gazing at me in awe.

"Wow! Alex, you look great! What have you done to your hair? That new shampoo must be worth every penny!" she gasped.

I turned to the mirror and examined myself carefully. It appeared that Bill's blood really was much stronger that it had been before. I was silent for a moment, staring at my reflection. My pale skin glowed as thought it were lit up from inside and my black hair had the high gloss you only ever saw in expensive shampoo advertisements. The shiny highlights were almost blue.

I took a deep breath. "Okay! I think I'm ready! Wish me luck!" I winked at Susie and slipped back into our suite.

* * *

When I came out of the shower Alex was not in the suite. I concentrated for a moment and instantly I could feel her nearby, I guessed she had gone next door to see Susie. I dressed quickly and was tying my tie when I heard the door open. Giving it a last twitch to get the perfect shape I turned round and froze in astonishment. She stood just inside the door watching me with a strangely worried expression.

I opened my mouth but nothing came out. I felt my fangs slide out as I gazed at her. My mouth was dry and my expensive dress trousers suddenly felt several sizes too small. Something that I had taken care to hide deep inside me let out a growl and began demanding insistently that I drag her back to my cave by the hair. When it began suggesting things I might do to her I blinked and shook my head. **_Oh! You are such a bore William!_** The lazy voice shocked me awake,** _I was enjoying that….you had some interesting ideas there, could we try them sometime?_ **Go away! I thought firmly and smiled at Alex.

"Do you like it?" she asked hesitantly. "Red isn't wrong for some reason is it?"

"No! No of course not!" I simply couldn't tear my eyes away from the ruby burning against her pale flesh. "I've never seen anything more beautiful in my life!" I said. "You look amazing, stunning!"

She smiled with relief and my trousers did that shrinking act again.

"I did some shopping of my own while you were asleep last night." I said.

She grinned at me happily. "Really? What for?" She turned her head to glance in the mirror, adjusting the neckline of the dress, casually running her finger across the edge of the bodice and over her breasts in a way that nearly made me break out in a cold sweat.

"I bought a gift for you" I said.

She turned and gazed at me in surprise. "What? You think the car wasn't enough?" She smiled at me "really Bill, that wasn't necessary you know."

"I wanted you to look perfect tonight" I said. "But now I see it was totally unnecessary. You couldn't possibly look any more perfect than you do now."

I picked up the long velvet box from the bedside table and handed it to her. "But you should have it anyway."

She looked up at me as she took the box. "Oh Bill, that's so sweet of you!" She opened it carefully and I watched as her expression changed from indulgence of my whims to surprise and then pleasure as she lifted out the bracelet I had selected. It was made of three strands of gold in three colours. White, yellow and red gold, plaited together to form one linked band. As soon as I had seen it I knew it was perfect for her, for us. I felt that, in some way, it was symbolic of our relationship. The white gold representing my cold vampire nature, the yellow, her warm mortal humanity and the red band which was studded with tiny diamonds, the blood and the love that bound us together.

"Oh it's beautiful Bill. I love it! Help me put it on?" she said excitedly.

I carefully fastened the bracelet around her wrist and she held out her arm, examining it from several angles.

"It's perfect!" she said. Then a little frown appeared on her face. "Why do I need to look perfect tonight particularly?" She asked, slightly suspiciously.

"Oh, it's just that there'll be a lot of important people, vampires, at the party that's all. I wanted you to impress them." I smiled. "I needn't have worried. I'll be the envy of every man there when I walk in with you on my arm."

"Important vampires?" she asked.

I smiled again. "Well yes, extremely important! You remember I told you that vampire society is organised differently in America? That I worked for Sophie-Anne Leclerq, the Queen of Louisiana? The heads of each area are appointed by the Vampire Authority as Monarchs. They will each have half a dozen sheriffs under them. If Charles Montague lived in the US, he would be a King."

"Oh...you're saying that there'll be Vampire Kings and Queens at this party! And I'll have to be presented to them?" She looked horrified, her eyes wide with surprise. I tried hard to suppress the smile that curled on my lips. "No, no you won't be presented to them. Vampires have an extremely strict sense of hierarchy. You are the consort of a God!" I paused for a moment to let this sink in. "They will be presented to you!"


	7. Chapter 7

For a moment I thought I might actually pass out!

"What?" I felt my hands begin to shake. "Presented to me? You're joking right?" I asked hopefully.

Bill took my hands in his and held them gently until they stopped trembling. Oh God, he wasn't joking!

"Alex, you'll be fine. I'll be right there with you all the time. I know better than anyone just how much courage you have, and you mustn't let them frighten you or look down on you. As the host of the Goddess I outrank them all and you are my woman! They had better show you the proper respect or there's going to be trouble!"

"But I'm not anyone special...I'm just...me" I said in a small voice.

Bill stared down at me with those brilliant blue eyes. "Not anyone special!" he said. "Alex, darling you are very special to me. If it were not for you I wouldn't be here now. Lilith had the power to take me over completely. If it were not for the strength and the will given to me by your blood all that I am, all that I ever was would be gone. If it were not for your courage in coming to find me, even after Ulrich had told you what had happened...well, I hate to think what would have happened to me."

He tucked my hand under his arm. "Come on, you can do this, you can do it easily. Now we have to go, the others are waiting downstairs in the foyer." I walked out of the suite and rode down in the elevator in a daze. When the doors closed on us Bill closed his eyes and the familiar deep red swirls began to appear on the visible areas of his skin. He opened his eyes and looked down at me.

"It's just for the party" he explained "just in case anyone feels like arguing about Lilith's presence!" I smiled back at him. By the time we reached the ground floor I had calmed down a little and when the doors opened Bill and I stepped out into the foyer and looked around at the others of his little "entourage". Gerry was looking magnificent in an immaculate dinner suit with Susie at his side in a toffee coloured silk dress which clung to her curves and blended with her pale gold hair. Azaria was wearing the black satin dress which she had bought on our shopping trip, it seemed like a lifetime ago now. The silver embroidery on the bodice stood out against her copper coloured skin and matched perfectly with the silver sandals. Bill's eyes slid down to the shoes and I noticed the corners of his mouth turn up in a tiny smile as he remembered what had happened when I had told him about her purchase.

As we were all complimenting each other on our appearance the main doors opened and Ulrich came in looking incredibly smart in an extremely well cut suit. He smiled with satisfaction to see us all and held the door open as we left the Hotel. Outside was another fleet of limousines with blacked out windows. Each couple got into a car with a bodyguard in the front seat with the driver. Ulrich got in the front of our car and another car pulled out in front of us as an escort.

"Oh I'll never get used to all this security!" I said to Bill, once we were settled in the back of the limousine.

He reached up and drew a fingertip down my cheek. "I can accept it if it keeps you safe" he said "you remind me sometimes of a piece of Venetian glass, beautiful and precious, but fragile. I would never forgive myself if anything happened to you."

I turned my head and kissed his fingertip gently. "Okay, I'll try to get used to it, I promise. Now, I need information! Who I am likely to meet at this party?"

Bill sat back against the cushion and thought for a moment as the cavalcade of cars swept through the streets of New York. "Well Ulrich has confirmed that at least two of the Authority's Magisters will be there. They are...judges, I suppose that would be the closest term. They administer the Authority's justice. You've met the Magister for Europe, Olivier Bertrand, you remember? At Lazlo's trial? The other is Jorje Alonso de San Diego, the Magister for North America." Bill paused reflectively. "He's a nasty piece of work, he was a monk living in Spain and trained with the Inquisition. He takes pleasure in causing pain to others and has devised many of the Authority's punishments."

"What kind of punishments?" I asked, fascinated despite myself.

Bill glanced at me as if trying to assess what he should tell me.

"Well, he invented a device which holds electrolytically refined silver and transfers it via an intravenous drip, directly into the veins at the push of a button." He said quietly. "I understand it to be exquisitely painful...like having your flesh set on fire from the inside."

I gasped. "Okay! I'll stay away from him then!"

Bill smiled. "I intend to ensure he stays well away from you!" he said firmly. "As to who else will be there. Almost certainly Gustaaf Van Straten the King of New York. He's a very interesting character actually. He left Holland as a young man in the 1690's and set himself up as a fur trader in New Amsterdam, which of course was centred on Manhattan Island. He's been here ever since and was appointed by the Authority as he knows every inch of the area, he's hunted over most of it both before and after he died." Bill gave me an apologetic little smile.

"It's okay Bill" I said. "I appreciate that these people are vampires. They're predators, in fact as the top of the hierarchy I guess that makes them top predators, right?"

He took my hand in his. "Yes, of course you're right. The people that you will be meeting tonight are probably some of the most dangerous predators in the country. But they are bound tightly by custom and tradition, at least, among themselves!" He gave me a satisfied grin. "And none of them are currently any more dangerous than I am!"

"I'll stick with you then, shall I?" I asked squeezing his hand.

"I'd like that!" he laughed. "Since we're visiting Chicago next I would expect that Francesca De Luca, the Queen of Illinois and her husband Joseph Collins, the King of the adjoining state of Indiana would be here tonight to check us out. Other than that, I've no idea!"

I had been concentrating on what Bill was telling me and had not paid any attention to where we were going so when I felt the car pull off the road and slow, I peered out of the window curiously to see that we had arrived in front of the Ritz Carlton in Battery Park at the tip of Manhattan Island. A uniformed porter opened the door of the limousine and Bill stepped out and carefully helped me out of the car. I took a deep breath and tucked my hand under his arm.

"Right then, let's go" he said.

Ulrich stepped up alongside us as we walked into the foyer of the Hotel and were directed up a short, wide flight of carpeted steps on the far side of the foyer and entered a long elegantly decorated ballroom with one side open to a terrace with a view out across the harbour to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. The hum of voices in the room hushed as we entered and it seemed that every single head turned to stare at us. I strolled calmly across the room at Bill's side, listening to the rustling of my satin dress in the silence, wondering if he could hear the pounding of my heart and trying frantically to slow it down.

Ulrich was leading us towards a huge man in what was certainly the most enormous dinner jacket I had ever seen. He must have been at least six foot five and was heavily built to match his height. He turned to us with a broad smile as we approached and called "Ah, Ulrich my friend, at last!" He reached out and grasped Ulrich's forearm with his massive hand.

Ulrich smiled. "Gustaaf my friend, it's good to see you again! Bill, Alex, this is his Majesty Gustaaf Van Straten the King of New York."

Bill gave him a polite nod. "Your Majesty."

"Gustaaf, this is William Compton, the vessel of the Goddess and his partner Miss Alexandra Morgan."

"I am very pleased, indeed honoured, to meet you Your Excellency!" boomed Gustaaf. Then this huge bear of a man turned to me and reached for my hand. "And your delightful young lady!"

I smiled politely, quite unable to think of anything to say. Fortunately the others of our party had followed us in and Ulrich gestured to Azaria.

"This is the Princess Azaria, Mr Compton's adopted progeny" he said with a smile at her.

Gustaaf released my hand and grasped Azaria's instead. "You are a fortunate man Your Excellency" he said "Most of us can barely manage to attract one beautiful woman, but you have two!" I noticed Dan, who was standing behind her, look slightly annoyed at this statement and he seemed about to step forward. Gerry put a warning hand on his shoulder and shook his head slightly. He leaned down and whispered something in Dan's ear and the three of them turned away quietly and headed toward a bar on the other side of the ballroom.

We stood and chatted with Gustaaf for a while and he proved to be a charming and amusing companion. I began to relax and enjoy myself and looking around I saw a small slim man approaching who I thought I recognised. He was with a slightly taller thin man with a sour expression to whom I took an instant dislike.

"Ulrich!" he said sharply, "we thought you'd never get here!"

Ulrich glared at him for a moment and turned to the other man. "I think you have already met Olivier Bertrand, our Magister for Europe?" He said turning back to Bill.

Bertrand nodded politely to Bill. "Indeed, We 'ave met before your Excellency." He turned to me and took my hand, bending low and brushing my fingers with his lips. "I 'ave also 'ad the pleasure of meeting the charming Miss Morgan" he said in an outrageously overdone French accent, winking at me "and also Miss Azaria" he added giving her a dazzling smile.

"It's nice to meet you again Monsieur Bertrand." I said with a genuine smile.

Ulrich indicated the other man. "And this is Jorje de San Diego, our Magister for North America" he said shortly.

Oh yes! I could certainly see him in the Inquisition! He gave Bill a watery smile and bowed his head just barely enough to be considered respectful. "Your Excellency."

Bill gave each of the Magisters a pleasant smile and a polite nod and rather to my relief, a tall thin vampire came up and spoke quietly to them for a moment. Bertrand turned to Bill. "You must excuse us your Excellency, business calls!"

Ulrich had disappeared somewhere and Bill, Azairia and I were alone for a moment. He turned to me. "Shall we go and get some drinks?" he suggested. This sounded like an excellent idea to me although I made a mental note not to drink too much. Somehow I just knew that getting tipsy in this company wouldn't be a very good plan. However, as I turned I saw Ulrich approaching with another couple. In front was a striking looking tall blonde woman in an expensive looking designer dress and sky high heels.

He turned to her and said "May I introduce Mr William Compton who, as I am sure you are aware, is the vessel of the Goddess." Bill gave her a polite nod. "And this is Miss Alexandra Morgan, Mr Compton's partner and Princess Azaria, his adopted progeny" Azaria and I smiled politely and she gave each of us a rather chilly smile in return.

"May I present her Majesty, Freyda, the Queen of Oklahoma" said Ulrich formally. "Together with her new consort." I glanced across at the tall blond man by her side….. Oh crap!

"Eric" said Bill calmly.

"Bill" he replied with a nod.

Bill turned back to Freyda with a smile. "It is an honour to meet you your Majesty."

"You too your Excellency" she said. "And your charming companion."

I smiled back at her pleasantly.

"I gather that you and Eric are already acquainted?" she said, turning back to Bill.

"Yes indeed" replied Bill. "I was born in Louisiana and returned there for a while after the Revelation."

"Oh! I see" she said. "Well I'll leave you for a moment. I'm sure you will have plenty to talk about." She took Ulrich's arm firmly and steered him away. "I'd like you to introduce me to…." Her voice faded into the crowd and I glanced back at Bill and Eric who were staring at each other warily like a couple of fighting dogs.

"Oh I'm sure we will!" drawled Eric in a bored tone, watching her walk away. He turned back to Bill with a slight smile. "You don't seem surprised? Did someone tell you or has Lilith made you omniscient as well?"

"Sam told me" said Bill. He stepped forward a little and lowered his voice to an angry hiss. "How could you! You tricked her into marrying you and then dumped her when a better prospect came along! She must have been devastated."

"There was nothing I could do! It was a match arranged by my maker, I didn't even know about it until recently" said Eric with a casual shrug of his shoulders.

"Your maker is dead Eric! There must have been some way out of it?" demanded Bill.

"Well, yes. But I would have had to pay Freyda's people a ridiculously enormous fine!" said Eric looking quite horrified at the thought.

I glanced at Bill and noticed, to my consternation, that the swirling red marks on his skin were getting broader and darker, spreading slowly across his face and neck. He looked calm but I could see the darkness and the coldness in his eyes as he glared at Eric.

"Are you trying to tell me….me!...that you thought keeping Sookie was too expensive!" he hissed. "Me! who was prepared to give up my life for her? How dare you!"

"It's not as straightforward as you think" snarled Eric, looking around to see if we were being observed. Several vampires who were obviously trying to listen in looked away hurriedly and began chatting to their companions when his eye fell on them. "She had something" he said in a low voice, "a gift from Faerie. Niall told me about it. She could have used it to free me from my obligation to Oklahoma but she preferred to use it to help Sam!"

"Sam? What's Sam got to do with it?" asked Bill, puzzled.

"Oh he got into a fight with some Were and nearly got himself killed. She had to use this thing to save him" he explained dismissively.

Bill went completely still and calm. "So let me see if I've got this right" he said quietly. "You ditched her because she used this…..whatever it was….to save the life of an old and dear friend rather than to get you out of a slightly awkward situation which you could have arranged yourself by paying a fine which I'm sure you could easily have afforded?"

Eric stared back at him in silence. "Is that right?" he repeated slowly.

Eric leaned forward a little using his height to try to intimidate Bill. "Listen Bill" he said quietly "I don't know how you've managed this….." he waved a hand at Bill's face, indicating the red stain "but I don't entirely believe this fanciful story about Lilith and, let me tell you, I'm not the only one!"

Bill reached up, put his hand companionably on Eric's shoulder and smiled at him. To anyone watching it looked like a normal gesture between two old friends, but I could see Eric's face. His eyes flew open and he tried to pull back but Bill held him effortlessly in place and slid his thumb across Eric throat. Fortunately for Eric he had no need to breathe but he certainly appeared to be in some considerable discomfort as Bill's thumb pressed down just above his collar bone. He grasped Bill's wrist and tried to pull him off but was quite unable to move him.

Bill smiled peacefully at him. "Don't push me Eric! I have absolutely no interest in what you believe, except for one thing. That you no longer have any power or influence over me and if you ever cross me again I will make you regret it!" He stared directly into Eric's angry eyes. "Do you believe this?" he asked.

Eric nodded briefly and he let go. Eric took a step back, stumbling a little in his haste to get out of reach. Bill gave him a polite nod. "If you'll excuse us Mr Northman?"

He reached down and took my hand, entwining his fingers with mine. "I'm sorry about that" he murmured as we walked away.

"It's okay" I said. "I know you're not the best of friends!" He gave me a rueful little smile. "What will she do?" I asked.

He at least did me the courtesy of not pretending that he didn't know who I was talking about. "Sam has always been very fond of her, he'll take care of her, and she has many friends. A lot of them kept away because of Eric but they'll come back."

We strolled over to the bar where Gerry was ordering drinks. I asked for a white wine spritzer, hoping to get more soda than wine. The barman saw Bill and reached for an elegant looking blue glass bottle. I saw Bill's eyebrows rise when he spotted it just as Gerry turned back to the bar after handing Susie her drink.

"Wow!" said Gerry. "Is that Royalty Blend?"

"It was ordered in specially for you and your party your Excellency" said the barman with a smile pouring a couple of glasses. Gerry picked one up and took a sip. "Oh boy...this is magnificent!" he murmured.

Bill picked up the other glass and handed it politely to Azaria. The barman hurriedly poured another for him.

"What's this "Your Excellency" stuff?" I asked.

Bill shrugged. "Who knows?" he said. "Practically everyone here has a title of some sort. I guess they thought I should have one as well."

Gerry grinned. "Shows a proper deference for your exalted position" he said cheerfully.

Bill laughed. "I suppose so! So who else is here, do you know?"

"Well, I've just seen Francesca De Luca and Joe Collins on the balcony. Together, by some miracle!"

Susie and I must have looked puzzled because he laughed. "I thought you said they were married?" I asked Bill.

"Indeed they are" he answered. "But marriages among vampire Monarchs are usually made for political reasons, to gain control of territory, rather than for love" he explained. "I understand that they actually dislike each other intensely!"

Gerry laughed. "You're not kidding! She does all the work and he spends all his time in Indiana screwing his vast collection of young girls and, if the rumours are true, boys as well. And even, if he gets really desperate, his wife!"

We all burst out laughing. "Really Gerry!" said Bill sternly, stifling his giggles with an effort "keep your voice down! You should be careful what you say in company like this! You'll get yourself into big trouble."

I smiled to myself and looked out at the view over the harbour. Perhaps this evening might not be so bad after all, I thought.


	8. Chapter 8

As I turned back to the bar I bumped into someone.

"Oh! I'm so sorry!" turning round I saw that I had backed into a tall dark man with black hair and big dark eyes. His skin had the warm glow which told me instantly that he was human.

"Please don't apologise, the fault is entirely mine!" He gave me a dazzling smile displaying a wide expanse of perfect teeth. "Mesmerised by your beauty I wasn't looking where I was going!" I swear I saw Bill's ears prick up as he was talking to Ulrich at the other end of the bar! His head turned to me and he raised an eyebrow.

I giggled and Bill relaxed a little. "You couldn't even see my face from where you were standing!" I said with a laugh.

A disappointed expression appeared on his face. "Oh now don't spoil it" he laughed, "that was one of my best lines! Besides I was watching you when you were talking with his Majesty Van Straten, so I was able to observe your beauty then." He gave me another dazzling smile. "Allow me to introduce myself, my name is Sascha, I am companion to her Majesty Francesca de Luca of Illinois" he lowered his voice and glanced around in a conspiratorial manner, completely wasted of course as we were now being observed by all of our party, including Ulrich, "but I have to stay out of the way when she is with her husband!"

I laughed. "Yes, I would imagine you do!" I said, holding out my hand to him. "I am Alexandra, companion to His Excellency William Compton, the vessel of the Goddess." He took my hand and bowed deeply and theatrically over it. "Where are you from Sascha?" I asked, since one of the most noticeable things about him was his beautiful, richly accented voice. "I arrived in America three years ago from St Petersburg" he explained. Perhaps you will permit me to buy you a drink?"

"No thank you. I'm fine at the moment." I said, unable to stop smiling at his persistence.

He leaned back with his elbows on the bar and turned to the barman to order a whisky.

"Shouldn't you be drinking Vodka?" asked Gerry, slightly sourly.

Sascha looked him over, suspiciously. "Shouldn't you be wearing a long black opera cloak and taking in a middle European accent?" he asked.

Susie and I both giggled. "Touché" said Susie.

Gerry tried to look annoyed but one look at Susie's face was enough to have him giggling as well.

"Okay, you've got me there!" he said with a smile. "I'm Gerry, and this is Mr Compton to whom you owe an apology for attempting to chat up his girlfriend!"

Sascha's eyebrows shot up into his wavy black hair. "Not at all, I was merely being polite!" he said in an offended tone. "After all we are both in a similar position, being the human partner of a high ranking vampire." He turned to Bill and bowed politely, "your Excellency!"

Bill smiled. "He has a point there Gerry" he said. "Besides, since we are to visit Chicago he may be able to provide us with some useful information."

"Oh indeed!" said Sascha with a broad grin. "I am a terrible gossip!"

We were being crowded now by other people trying to get to the bar so Bill suggested we move to somewhere quieter and we picked up our drinks and headed out onto the terrace. A small chamber orchestra had started up at the far end of the ballroom and Dan and Azaria abandoned us to go and dance, but the rest of us settled down on three couches arranged in a semi circle around a low table at one end of the terrace. Gerry and Bill began to question Sascha on various aspects of the Queen of Illinois' household. I had to admit that they lost me after the first couple of sentences, I had no knowledge of the numerous staff and associates of a Vampire Monarch and, to be honest, very little interest either. I relaxed next to Bill and gazed peacefully out over the harbour where the statue of Liberty stood floodlit on her tiny island.

"…don't you think so Alexandra?" Sascha's voice jolted me back suddenly.

"Oh! I'm sorry. What were you saying?" I asked, embarrassed.

"Sascha was telling us about an associate of her Majesty who came from England. She was turned several hundred years ago as a young woman of about sixteen" explained Bill.

"I think you would like her" said Sascha. " She is about your size, tiny, but fierce!" His dark eyes flashed with amusement.

"And what role does she play in the Queen's inner circle?" asked Bill with a smile at me.

"Oh she is an advisor" said Sascha airily, "the Queen has been consulting her recently because of her knowledge of witchcraft."

There was silence for a moment. Witchcraft? He had to be joking surely, I thought. Then I thought again. No-one had known that vampires existed until they wanted us to. Twelve months ago I hadn't known that there were werewolves living on the Inland Waterways, or that a man as seemingly normal as Sam Merlotte could turn himself into a dog, or that a woman could walk out of thin air and tell me she was a Faerie Queen, and yet all these things had happened. Maybe witches did exist, who was I to scoff after all I'd seen?

"Why has she needed to consult her?" asked Ulrich quietly.

The three vampires stared at Sascha who looked rather embarrassed. "Ah! It's nothing!" he said "just a rumour."

"A rumour of…" prompted Ulrich.

Sascha sighed and glanced around the terrace. "Okay, but you didn't hear this from me!" he muttered in a low voice. "Francesca began hearing rumours a few weeks ago that a woman, a human woman had moved into our territory. A witch, calling herself Lucilla. We didn't pay much attention until we heard that she practised necromancy."

The vampires froze instantly. "What?" I whispered turning to Bill. "Why is that important?"

"You know what that is?" murmured Bill.

"Well" I hesitated, feeling foolish, "it's…..raising the dead. Isn't it? Why is that a problem?"

"Necromancers strive to obtain power over the dead" said Bill. "Think about this Alex…if she can control the dead, then she can control us!"

Everyone stared at Sascha. "We can't cancel the visit" said Ulrich. "All the arrangements are in place, to cancel now would be an unimaginable insult!"

"We'll just have to be extremely careful" said Bill.

"Well, it's only a rumour after all!" said Gerry. "We don't know that this woman has any real power at all, that she is even a sorcerer let alone a necromancer. Maybe she just likes dancing around naked!"

Sascha let out a great bellow of laughter and Bill and Ulrich glared at them both disapprovingly. "Oh, come on!" said Gerry. "I'm just trying to lighten the atmosphere a little."

Ulrich smiled. "Well, I guess we'll just have to see what happens" he said.

* * *

I put my arm around Alex's shoulders and leaned back against the sofa. _**So who is this man exactly?**_ Well, from what he's told us I'm assuming that he's probably Queen Francesca's human lover. _**This is quite common then? To take a human lover?**_ I thought for a moment. Well yes I suppose it is. _**Why? **_I nearly laughed aloud but stopped myself in time. Probably because we're almost impossible to live with ourselves and we don't have the patience to deal with each other! Lilith considered this for a moment. _**Yes, I can see that. With a human you always know who is the more powerful, with another vampire one would always be trying to overpower the other. **_Quite, very well reasoned in fact. _**And this witch, will she be a problem?**_ I have no idea! As Gerry said, we don't even know for sure that she is a witch. Or that, if she is, she would have the slightest interest in us. There was a pause. _**The Kings and Queens that are here tonight, they are the leaders of our people in this country, is that correct? **_Well technically, yes. They each rule their own territory but are appointed by the Authority. _**And who appoints them? **_I blinked, this was a question I had never considered. I have no idea. I imagine that the Authority appoints new Chancellors as they are required...

I felt a tap on my shoulder and looked up to see Ulrich. "You're supposed to be circulating remember! No hanging around with your girlfriend" his smile at Alex belied his sharp tone. "Everyone here wants to meet you Bill."

I sighed and stood up. "Okay, where next? I asked.

"Let's get this over with" said Ulrich glancing through the double doors of the terrace to where two men stood in close conversation. One was small and slim but carried himself with the assurance of great age and power. The other was taller and had an air of determination about him. I recognised both. Russell Edgington, King of Mississippi and Felipe de Casto, King of Nevada. No, not just Nevada, I recalled. He had now taken over both Louisiana and Arkensas after the deaths of my Queen, Sophie-Anne and her husband, if only briefly, Peter Threadgill.

I gave Ulrich a sour look and put out my hand to help Alex to her feet. As we walked over to them Lilith began questioning me again. _**How is it that he has three territories?**_ She asked.

A good question. "How is it that de Castro has managed to get away with taking over Louisiana and Arkensas?" I asked Ulrich casually.

"It's not something I've ever enquired about" he answered quietly. "It's none of my business since I'm not one of the US Chancellors. I would imagine that in the chaos after the summit meeting in Rhodes they felt that they had enough to occupy them and were just relieved that someone was prepared to take over the running of the vacant states." _**Hmm...It seems to me to be dangerous to give too much power to one man.**_ _**You should not permit this.**_ I have to say that I entirely agreed with her.

"Lilith does not approve!" I said.

Ulrich glanced at me and gave me a look which said clearly, "don't mention it."

We paused a little way away and Ulrich said "wait here" and strolled casually over to the two Kings. I slipped my arm around Alex's waist and smiled down at her. "Everything okay?" I asked.

"Oh I'm fine" she said. "How about you? What's happened between you and these guys?"

"What makes you think anything has happened?"

She laughed softly. "Bill, I can feel the tension in your arm, never mind through the bond!"

I said nothing. _**She's very perceptive. Do not fear them William, they cannot harm you, not now that I am with you.**_

An elderly female vampire took the opportunity to come over and curtsey to me. "Praise Lilith!" she whispered and reached for my hand. I allowed her to kiss the blood red stain on my hand as I watched Ulrich smiling pleasantly at Russell Edgington. They all looked over at us and I pulled Alex a little closer as the elderly lady hurried away. I could feel the warmth of her body through the satin of her dress and I felt curiously comforted by the fact that she was with me. When I looked back up I saw Ulrich approaching with Edgington and de Castro.

He stopped in front of us and turned to them. "I believe you have both met Mr Compton previously?"

"Yes indeed" said Russell, ignoring me and taking Alex's hand. "But not his charming companion!" He bent to kiss her hand and I noticed him pause and sniff at her curiously.

"This is Alexandra Morgan" said Ulrich. "Alexandra, this is his Majesty Russell Edgington, the King of Mississippi."

"I'm very pleased to meet you your Majesty" said Alex calmly and politely. Russell glanced up at me and I caught his eye. _**This one is arrogant William, he believes himself to be better than others, including you, because of his age.**_

"Russell" I said briefly, giving him a nod. From his expression he did not consider it sufficiently obsequious.

Ulrich gestured at Felipe. "And this is his Majesty Felipe de Castro, King of Nevada, Louisiana and Arkensas" he said.

Alex smiled as he kissed her hand. You could have cut the atmosphere with a knife. Felipe bowed politely to Alex and then turned to me. "Indeed I have met Mr Compton before" he said coldly. "He was one of my subjects in Louisiana. In fact he left without asking my permission or even notifying his sheriff." _**Oh William! This one is even more arrogant than the other! He should be made to understand my power!**_

I smiled at him. "I didn't feel that it was necessary at the time, and anyway, we are far beyond that now." I leaned towards him a little. "You may dislike me personally Felipe..." his eyes flew wide with shock at the familiar use of his personal name rather than his title "...but you will show me the respect due to the Goddess."

He gave a cynical little smile from which I deduced that these two were among those Eric had mentioned, those who did not believe in the resurrection of the Goddess. I stared him down and, after a moment, I saw his eyes go blank as though I had glamoured him somehow. I sensed Russell turning to look at him, but he was unable to tear his eyes away from mine. I could feel the presence of Lilith in my head and I suddenly realised that **she** had glamoured him! He continued to stare at me blankly, his mouth falling open, until I turned away and it was obvious to both Russell and Ulrich that I had released him. He staggered for a moment and took Russell's arm. _**He believes now my friend! **_

We left Russell and Felipe to their plotting and strolled back towards the bar, I could feel the eyes of everyone following us as we went and sensed that a great many were not watching me but Alex. I slipped my hand around hers entwining our fingers together and looked down at her. She had a calm and poise that I found astonishing considering her earlier panic and she looked so incredibly beautiful that I felt a lump in my throat.

Feeling my eyes on her she turned her head towards me and smiled that special smile that I knew was for me alone. _**You must be aware that many of the males here are interested in her William.**_ The voice surprised me. It was thoughtful and quiet, unusual for Lilith. Yes Lily, I see that. _**And are you not concerned?**_ Not in the slightest. I smiled to myself. I know that she loves me and is not interested in anyone else and, thanks to you, I need not worry about losing her. It's ironic really, as much as you dislike her, you yourself have given me the strength and authority to be able to walk through a room full of powerful vampires with her on my arm with no concern that someone might try to take her from me. They would not dare! _**I do not dislike her William. Admittedly I did at first, I was jealous of your feelings for her. But now I can see that she is useful to you and not merely for food and sex**_. That is not why I love her and you know it! She laughed quietly to herself. _**Yes, I know that. I see now that you are not so unusual as I had thought in your choice of a human companion. It appears that many others do so, and you have chosen well, she is very beautiful and appears worthy of you, of us. **_So you appreciate her purely for decorative purposes? _**I am interested in how you appear to others William, it reflects well on me if they admire your companion. My host should be a vampire **__**that others look up to and admire.**_ Well, I'm glad that you have come to appreciate at least one of her many good qualities.

_**The two Kings we met just now, you don't trust them do you?**_ No indeed I don't. _**You show considerable wisdom for one so young.**_ _**They did not believe that I live in you did they? **_Oh I think Felipe does now! Although he didn't want to. What did you do to him? _**It is similar to your glamour, but much more powerful, he could feel my presence and my anger at his disbelief.**_ I could sense her comfortable complacency at Felipe's fear of her. _**He will pass on this knowledge to others who do not wish to believe. They will accept you as their leader my friend. I shall make sure of this! **_I was silent at this declaration as I was not entirely sure that I wanted to be feared.

I felt Alex's hand on my arm and looked down just as we reached the bar area. "Is everything okay?" she asked.

"Lilith doesn't trust Edgington or De Castro" I said quietly.

"How very perceptive of her!" she said, unconsciously echoing Lilith's earlier opinion of her. "I've only just met them and I wouldn't trust either of them further than I could see 'em…if that far!" she looked up at me questioningly. "What did you think?"

I sighed. "To be honest they're not much different from the rest of us, just more extreme. We're all inherently suspicious and untrustworthy."

"Oh dear! I'm in trouble then am I?" she laughed. "I gather that you'd met both of them before?"

"Yes, but now isn't the time…we'll talk later." Azaria and Dan were approaching, both their faces flushed with excitement. I smiled to see Azaria's obvious happiness. "You certainly appear to be enjoying yourself?"

"Oh yes! This is such fun!" She grinned at me then her face took on a more serious expression. "Bill, people keep approaching me and asking me to intercede with you on their behalf. What do they mean?"

_**They mean her to intercede with me!**_ Yes I realise that. "They must be worshippers of Lilith" I explained. "They want you to let me know this in the hope that she will appreciate their devotion to her." _**As indeed I do**_, came the complacent voice.

Dan and Azaria headed back to the bar as the orchestra began a fast Viennese Waltz. I looked down at Alex. "Do you waltz by any chance Miss Morgan?" I asked.

"As a matter of fact I do." She answered. "I actually went to ballroom dancing classes as a child! Do you waltz Mr Compton?"

"When given the opportunity to waltz with the woman who has drawn every eye in the room…how could I refuse?" I slipped my arm around her waist and took her hand in mine. _**Waltz? What is this waltz?**_ The voice sounded slightly panicked for a moment. Relax Lily, just relax and go with it! I swept Alex out onto the dance floor to the strains of "The Vienna Woods".

She was indeed a good dancer, light on her feet and quick to follow my lead, though how she managed it in those heels I would never understand! I held my hand in the small of her back, the smooth satin of her dress cool under my fingers, and held her close to me, her small warm hand on my back just above my belt as the music carried us out onto the floor. There were other couples dancing, including Gerry and Susie, but I had eyes only for Alex. I became gradually aware that the crowds on the edge of the dance floor were becoming thicker but I didn't care, I only wanted to be in her arms. When the music stopped we swept to a halt at the edge of the floor and stood, smiling at each other for a moment. There were a few desultory claps and then we walked off the floor to a swelling roar of applause.

Ulrich gave me a little nod of appreciation as we walked past on our way to the couches on the terrace where we sat for a while in the dim light, holding hands silently. "We should go back in" I said reluctantly. "Ulrich will want us to circulate, make polite conversation…"

"What a shame" she murmured. "It's so lovely out here….under the stars….." I leaned over and kissed her. For a moment everything stopped, the murmur of voices, the music, it all faded into the background. All that mattered was the feel of her soft lips beneath mine. She kissed me back and then pulled away. "You're right" she said, and the beast within me was encouraged to hear a little tremor in her voice. "We should go back in." I reached for her hand and helped her to her feet.

For the rest of the evening we circulated and chatted endlessly. I soon lost count of the dozens of high ranking vampires who were introduced to us. _**I will remember them.**_ Oh good, a social secretary! that'll be very helpful! I thought sarcastically. There was no reply, but I thought I felt a soft laugh. She was learning.

Eventually we realised that no-one was going to leave before us as they considered it might be taken as an insult and Alex and I strolled over to his Majesty King Gustaaf Van Straten and thanked him politely for a lovely evening. We took the first car and two security guards and headed back to the Hotel. Alone in the back of the limousine I finally felt free to kiss Alex properly. Neither of us noticed the journey, we were locked in each others' arms like a couple of teenagers. The security guards escorted us into the Hotel and I picked Alex up in my arms and carried her into the elevator.


	9. Chapter 9

After what seemed like a lifetime the elevator doors closed and I pulled Alex up against me and kissed her. She slipped her arms around my neck and leaned into the kiss, parting her lips invitingly, encouraging me to stroke her warm tongue with mine. Fortunately the key for the rooftop suite sent the elevator directly there with no stops on other floors. That could have been rather embarrassing since we were so lost in the kiss that we hardly noticed when the elevator stopped and the doors opened onto the small private hallway.

I lifted her back into my arms without taking my mouth from hers and carried her into the suite. Setting her down gently on the thick carpet I smiled down at her. "At last!" I breathed. "I've been watching you circulating and chatting to other men all evening and all I wanted to do was push you up against a convenient wall and take you, right there."

Her beautiful grey eyes widened in surprise and I heard her heartbeat speed up a little. "Oh Bill, really!" she said. "You said I was to be friendly and circulate…so I did. I was doing exactly as I was told, just like I always do." She put her head on one side and looked up at me innocently, biting her lip. "After all" she whispered "I wouldn't want you to punish me for being a bad girl and disobeying your instructions now would I?"

I felt my lips curl into a smile and struggled to stop myself from laughing. "Oh no! we wouldn't want that!" I said solemnly. "Perhaps you'd like me to help you with that dress? We wouldn't want it to get damaged." I took her hand and led her over to the bed, sitting down on the edge of it and turning her away from me. She turned obediently and I spread my knees apart pulling her back to stand between my thighs. I leaned forward for a moment and buried my face in her thick glossy hair, breathing in the scent of strawberries. Pushing the hair aside I began to lay tiny kisses down the back of her neck, moving down the ridge of her spine until I reached the satin at the back of the dress. The medieval style of the dress continued into the fastenings which consisted of a series of tiny hooks and eyes which reminded me of my wife's dresses. I breathed a little prayer for my beloved Caroline as I began to unfasten the little hooks, conscientiously planting tiny kisses on each area of exposed skin. It was only when I reached the last hook over the gentle swell of her buttocks and encountered the strip of black lace at the top of her panties that I realised that she wasn't wearing a bra. Evidently the tight bodice, stiff with encrusted crystals made it unnecessary.

"Could you just help me with this too?" she asked, wriggling her shoulders. I reached up and eased the dress off her shoulders and watched as she slipped her arms out of the flared sleeves. She gave a little wriggle of her hips and the dress slid down low enough for her to step out of it.

It's just as well that I don't need to breathe as I'm sure I would have forgotten as I watched Alex walk over to the armchair and lean forward to lay the dress carefully over the back. She turned her head and looked back over her shoulder with a wicked little smile to ensure that I was watching her, but I didn't think I could have torn my eyes away for a King's ransom. She was almost naked now, down to her tiny black lace panties. Two matching black lace suspenders ran down the top of each pale thigh to the lacy tops of a pair of black stockings and on her feet were a pair of black high heeled sandals laced with thin leather straps up to the ankle. The only other things on her body were the ruby necklace and the gold and diamond bracelet. I had a sudden flash of memory. Of making love to her on board the "Lady Eleanor" when she was wearing nothing but that necklace, and realised that my trousers were too tight, again.

She turned and walked towards me, the high heels making her hips sway as she moved and stopped between my spread knees. "Well?" she asked. "Would you like me to make polite conversation with you as well?"

I gulped. "That wasn't at the top of my agenda for this evening, no!" I said.

She smiled and leaned forward, putting her hands on my shoulders. "So what did you have in mind then?"

I tore my eyes away from her breasts with an effort and looked up at her. "Well…I was thinking that I might start here" I murmured, leaning forward to the soft flesh inches from my nose and sucking the tip into my mouth. I placed my hands on her hips and held her still as I curled my tongue around the nipple, teasing it gently until it felt hard in my mouth. Then I moved to the other and did the same, sliding my hands up to her waist and pulling her closer.

She stood with her head thrown back, her blue black hair falling in waves down her back, her eyes closed. The combination of the warmth of her flesh beneath my hands and the warmth of her love flooding into me through the blood bond had run my fangs fully out and I felt her shiver in my arms as they pressed gently against the delicate skin of her breast. She gave a little gasp and pushed herself closer, her hands slipping up into my hair. I needed no further encouragement as I pressed gently down and felt the needle sharp tips of my fangs penetrate the soft flesh of her breast. As her hot, sweet blood flowed into my mouth I felt her shudder and her legs seemed to lose their strength. I pulled her forward into my lap and continued to draw the sweet blood from her soft flesh.

I tore my mouth away with an effort before I could take too much and slid my hands down to the black lace of her panties. "Bought these today as well did you?" I asked.

"The Authority was kind enough to buy me half a dozen pairs!" she said with a little giggle.

"Oh good!" I said, ripping them off in one swift tug. "You've got plenty of spares then!"

She laughed, her body shaking in my arms. She was now wearing only the high heeled sandals, the stockings and the jewellry. Placing her knees on either side of my hips she pushed me gently back onto the bed and began unfastening the buttons of my shirt. She tugged the shirt gently out of the waistband of my smart dress trousers and carefully unfastened the button. I leaned back on my hands and watched as she struggled with the zip, giggling as she tried to pull it down over the sizeable obstruction which had appeared in my pants!

I braced my feet on the floor and lifted my hips up off the bed, enabling her to tug the trousers off and as she got up to lay them carefully over a chair, I pulled the shirt off over my head and sat back down on the side of the bed. She turned and looked at me thoughtfully, the combination of the suspenders, stockings and high heeled sandals on her otherwise completely naked body making the muscles of my stomach twitch in anticipation of whatever she was planning to do to me.

She smiled lazily at me and licked her lips, walking slowly back and sinking to her knees in front of me. I closed my eyes and felt the soft brush of her hair over my thighs and then the touch of her lips on the skin of my stomach. She kissed me gently moving down slowly until finally I felt her warm tongue curl around me and begin to lick gently along my length. A soft groan escaped as I felt her lips close around me and begin to move gently, pushing me further and further towards the edge until I felt that I would fall into the abyss. Just at the point where I felt myself falling she pulled back and released me. I opened my eyes slowly and watched her climb up onto the bed placing a knee on either side of my hips and looking down at me speculatively.

"You okay sweetie?" she whispered.

"Not really" I murmured. "I want you so badly it hurts! It's all I can do to keep still."

"Just a little longer..." she slid her knees apart and began to lower her body, impaling herself slowly on the stiff hard flesh that was reaching up for her from my hips. I heaved in an unecessary breath and dug my fingers into the sheets twisting them in my hands in an attempt to control my powerful urge to grasp her hips and throw her down on the bed. I managed it for all of thirty seconds or so and then let go. With a deep growl of pure lust I reached for her and rolled us over, our bodies locked together, and plunged deeper into her, over and over again until she shuddered to a climax underneath me.

As we lay in each other's arms there was a soft knock at the door to the suite. Alex barely noticed it, she was breathing heavily and I was relishing the sound of her pounding heartbeat.

"Just a moment sweetheart" I whispered, slipping out of bed and pulling on one of the fluffy dressing gowns. I went up the steps and opened the door. A rather nervous looking young man stood outside with a trolley.

"Um...Mr Compton?" he asked tentatively.

"Yes, that's right" I answered.

"I have something for you Sir. Herr von Shröeder arranged it."

I glanced down at the trolley. On a pristine white cloth sat a large ice bucket containing a bottle of Bollinger champagne and two glasses. Beside the ice bucket was a bottle of Royalty Blend and a large box of Belgian Chocolate Truffles.

I smiled at the young man. "Well that's very kind of him, thank you." I stood back from the door and he wheeled the trolley into the little foyer of the suite. I pulled a couple of dollar bills from the pocket of my pants which were over the back of a chair and handed them to him with a smile.

"Thank you sir!" he said and hurried out.

I picked up the ice bucket and the box of chocolates and went back into the bedroom. Alex was sitting up in bed clasping the sheet to her breasts, her black hair falling around her shoulders in a thick cloud.

"Look what Ulrich's sent us!" I said. "He must have been pleased with the party!"

"Mmm...chocolates! I'm starving!" she said, reaching for the box and pulling off the lid. I laughed and went back to the trolley, returning in a moment with the Royalty Blend and the glasses.

I poured her a glass of champagne and one of the rare blood for me and slipped back into bed beside her taking a sip and watching as she helped herself to a few more chocolates. She wriggled up beside me sending a shiver through my body. Leaning over, I kissed her throat gently. "Just once more, please?"

"Oh Bill!" she murmured "I'm too exhausted to move!"

"Then just relax...let me..." I put down the glass, slipped my arm under her waist and lifted her, turning her over so that she lay on her stomach. Reaching up to the head of the bed I grasped a pillow and, raising her up, slipped it under her hips lifting her lovely little bottom up in front of me. I lay for a moment admiring the long clean lines of her back and the smooth curves of her buttocks before leaning down and planting a kiss on her bottom. She gave a little sigh as I ran my fingers down her spine and up over those delicious curves feeling her warm contentment flowing into me through the blood bond we shared. I knelt astride her hips, unfastening the belt of the dressing gown and, adjusting the pillow slightly for the perfect angle, I slid myself back inside her welcoming warmth. I felt her pulse of pleasure through the bond and began to move my hips slowly and gently. Her flesh was warm and soft and slippery with her juices and she was so relaxed I could feel myself pushing in deeper, her muscles relaxing instinctively to allow me to drive deeper until I could go no further. I could feel the soft warmth of her buttocks against my stomach with each stroke and I looked down, the sight of my flesh disappearing into hers driving me mad with lust.

I began to work myself into her harder and faster, hearing her heartbeat quicken and delighting in the tiny moans I elicited from her at each stroke. When her muscles began to twitch and close around me I slowed and waited for her to relax before building up the pressure again, over and over until she was squirming on the pillows beneath me, moaning incoherently and I could stand it no longer. Brushing her hair from the back of her neck I leaned down and sank my fangs into the side of her throat, the sweet taste of her blood driving me over the edge of ecstacy and taking her over with me.

I lay back and watched as she gradually came to and opened her eyes with a smile.

"You enjoyed that huh?"

"Oh Bill…I loved it!" she murmured softly. "I always do, you manage to drive my body to such a pitch that I don't know whether to beg you to stop or plead for more!"

"You see, you weren't too tired after all." I whispered. "I know what you need, there's so much I can teach you, here…." I reached over to the table beside the bed where I had left the chocolates and the champagne. I picked up a chocolate truffle and held it out to her. She opened her mouth and I slid the chocolate between her lips.

"Mmm…..delicious" she whispered, licking the traces of chocolate off my fingers. I glanced back at the table, the sight of the bottle of champagne had given me an idea.

"You trust me don't you Alex?" I asked.

"Of course" she replied instantly, wriggling down into the pillows with a wicked little smile. "I'm just your helpless slave, you know that."

I reached over to the champagne and said "close your eyes!" She raised an eyebrow at me doubtfully. "Trust me?" She gave a little sigh and closed her eyes obediently.

I reached into the bucket, the ice was melting rapidly but there were a few cubes left and I pulled one out. I rolled over and looked down at her, her naked body stretched out on the bed, her eyes closed unquestioningly. I ran the tip of my finger down her stomach and she twitched slightly but didn't move. I smiled to myself and gently placed the ice cube on her stomach. She gave a squeak of surprise and her eyes flew open as I ran the ice cube across her skin.

"Oh you bad girl! I told you to keep your eyes closed!" I said with mock severity. Now I shall have to teach you to obey me!"

She stared up at me, her eyes wide with excitement and perhaps just a tiny touch of fear. I smiled down at her reassuringly and began to slide the rapidly melting ice cube down into the patch of dark curly hair between her thighs. She gasped as I slid it down across her warm folds and it rapidly melted completely and disappeared. I leaned over and ran my tongue down the cold trail of melting ice at the same time reaching over to the ice bucket. This time my questing fingers found a larger cube.

"Now then, keep your eyes closed this time!" I ordered firmly.

"Yes sir!" she said breathlessly, closing her eyes.

I repeated the slow movement of the ice and this time it had not completely melted when it reached her soft entrance. Pressing gently with my fingertip I eased it inside her. She gasped again and pushed herself against me, but did not open her eyes. I felt the muscles tighten over my finger as her body sucked the ice cube inside her.

"Oooh Bill! That feels…..so weird!" she sighed.

I pulled my finger out of her warm channel, a trickle of cold water oozing out onto the sheets. "Want to feel something else?" I suggested softly.

Her eyes widened further. "Well that depends what you've got in mind" she purred softly. I took her hand and guided it down my own stomach to where I was throbbing with anticipation.

"Hmm…that feels warm in comparison. Could be interesting!" she breathed softly, rolling on her side and throwing a leg over my hip invitingly. I rolled her over onto her back and mounted her, sliding myself into her smoothly in a single movement. The difference was so stunning that I gasped. Her normally warm soft welcoming flesh was cool and wet from the melting ice. "Oh yes!" I murmured to myself. _**Yes**_…..the whisper was so soft I hardly noticed it. I began to move faster, the friction of our bodies rapidly burning away the coldness left by the ice cube.

"Oh Bill...that feels so good!" she murmured.

_**Oh William that does feel good.**_ I stopped in mid-stroke. Lily? Will you please go away! _**Oh please, how can you be so cruel to me. Have you any idea how long it's been since I felt this? In fact, I've never felt anything quite like this. **_The voice was low and thick with desire. Oh really Lily!_** Now don't be unreasonable William dear. I never realised that a man's body could feel such pleasure, it's fascinating.**_ That's **my **body you're talking about remember!

"Bill? Is something wrong?...oh please don't stop!" whispered Alex.

"No, no everything's fine" I said hurriedly, starting to move my hips slowly again.

_**Listen to her William she knows what she wants, what we want! **_All right, stay there but just keep quiet, you're putting me off! I hissed the thought at her and she chuckled softly to herself. I felt for Alex through the blood bond, trying to gauge the level of her arousal, trying to time my movements to increase her pleasure. After a few moments we fell back into a familiar rhythm, our bodies moving together in an intimate dance, each giving pleasure to the other.

Gradually I became aware that something was different. I could feel my own pleasure, increasing rapidly as I began to move faster. I could also feel hers through the bond, but there was something...something more. _**More, yes more William, harder, she wants this, can't you tell?**_ With something of a shock I realised that I could also feel Lilith's powerful arousal. In that instant it swept over me like a wave and I forgot everything else. There was nothing else in the world, only this ecstacy. Mine, Alex's and over that, arching over everything in an overpowering flood, Lilith's. I felt strong, powerful, as if my body was on fire. I was sure that I could sense every nerve in my body firing wildly, I felt...I felt alive! Then suddenly I felt nothing at all...

Once again I was floating in darkness. _**Oh William that was wonderful, thank you.**_ What's happened to me? I asked, a slight hint of panic in my thoughts._** Don't worry, you'll be fine.**_ The voice was drowsy and slow. Alex? Is she okay? _**Yes, trust me she's fine**_. Trust you! _**Oh William, I mean you no harm really. Perhaps at first I did, when I first realised that I was losing control of you I was furious, I admit that but now...well I thought we were beginning to understand each other a little better. **_I began to calm down a little. Okay, so where are we? _**We are still inside your mind William. I've just taken a little time out, that's all. I have a question for you. **_I relaxed a little more. What do you want to know? _**When you spoke with Alex before the party you said that she had come to find you even though she knew what had happened. That cannot be right surely?**_ Well. I thought for a moment. Ulrich had told her what he knew about the ceremony. One of Berenice's followers had gone to the Authority and told them what she had seen. Alex knew that I had been taken over by a powerful spirit. She wanted to help me. _**She knew about me? But then she must have known of the danger. That you might easily have killed her? **_I smiled to myself. Yes, she knew that all right. _**And she still came? But why would she do that, why would she risk her life?**_ I paused for a moment, this could be very important. You tell me Lily, you know why she did it. There was a long pause. Lily? I waited for a moment longer. _**Because she loves you.**_ The voice was faint and somehow uncertain. _**She really loves you enough to risk her life for you?**_ It would appear so...

I opened my eyes to see Alex looking down at me, her beautiful grey eyes full of concern. "Bill? Are you okay?"

I smiled up at her. "Yes, yes I'm fine!"

She took a deep breath. "Oh good! So, what was that about?"

I looked up at her with the most innocent expression that I could manage in the circumstances. "What?" I asked.

"Oh come on! Don't take me for a fool Bill!" She said firmly. "I'm not saying that I didn't enjoy it but there was something more going on there. I can feel you through the blood bond remember? I know you, you feel...warm and comforting, but there was something else there with you, something dark and cold and powerful." She paused, looking down at me. "It was her wasn't it? Lilith."

I reached for her and pulled her down to me. She lay alongside me, her head on my shoulder. "Yes" I answered with a sigh. "It was Lilith. She is always with me, you know that."

"Yes I know" she said in a small, defeated voice.

"Are you okay with that? Because..." I couldn't actually think of anything that would improve the situation so I faltered to a stop.

She smiled up at me and snuggled closer. "So I've got Lilith" she said "But I've got you as well and as long as I've got you I'll be okay!"


	10. Chapter 10

I slept throughout the next day, the deep exhausted sleep of someone who had spent an evening in a roomful of dangerous vampires, come out intact and then spent the rest of the night having energetic sex with her insatiable lover!

When I woke Bill was lying on his side watching me.

"Good evening" he smiled down at me. "I was wondering when you'd wake up."

"Oooh, I've not slept so well in quite some time" I murmured, stretching languidly.

Bill raised an eyebrow. "Well I'd happily offer my services to tire you out again any time you like!"

I laughed as a thought struck me. I raised the sheet and looked down at myself. "I don't remember taking my shoes off."

"You didn't" he said, watching me with a smile. "I removed them myself when you fell asleep. They're on the chair over there."

"I see you restrained yourself from removing my stockings!" I said "you're such a gentleman!"

Bill sniggered. "Yes! Absolutely! That was the reason. It had nothing at all to do with my conviction that, once I got my hands on your legs, I wouldn't be able to control myself!"

"What's the plan for this evening then?" I asked.

"Do you mean what I'd like to do or what I'm going to have to do?" he replied with a sigh.

I grinned up at him, pulling the sheet right up to my chin modestly. "Oh I think I can guess what you'd like to do! But what are you going to have to do?"

Well Ulrich has asked Gerry and I to get together for a debrief meeting. I thought we could use the sitting room here. You and Susie can get some food from room service, Dan too. We could probably use your input.

As he spoke there was a knock at the door. "That'll be him now, you'd better hop in the shower. I'll call room service." He leaned over and kissed me. I rolled over and pressed my body against him, deepening the kiss. After a while the knock came again, slightly more impatient this time.

"Okay! Just a minute!" said Bill irritably. I took the opportunity to wriggle out of his embrace and slide out of the bed. He reached over and gave me a little slap on my bare bottom as I headed off to the bathroom. I heard him mutter to himself "Oh I really shouldn't have done that!" as he pulled on the dressing gown and crossed the room to the door. I closed the bathroom door, smiling to myself.

I stood under the hot shower for quite some time, relaxing and giving my hair a thorough wash. When I opened the door and came out into the sitting room in a Hotel dressing gown with a towel wrapped around my hair, Ulrich was sitting at the table in a smart grey suit. Bill had obviously just pulled on a pair of jeans and a T shirt and was lounging on one of the sofas with his bare feet on the thick carpet. Gerry looked much the same, his curly dark hair still rumpled and damp. Dan and Azaria were curled up together on the other sofa and Susie was investigating a large trolley from which was emanating the delicious smell of bacon.

I went over and helped her remove the covers from plates of bacon, eggs and pancakes which sat on the trolley alongside a big jug of coffee and a smaller jug of maple syrup. Soon we were settled on the sofa tucking in hungrily while the vampires discussed the previous night's party.

"I thought it went very well on the whole" said Ulrich, sounding pleased. "I managed to introduce almost everyone who wanted to speak to you Bill, they will all go back home and tell all their friends about it!" He smiled to himself. "After all, it's not every night you get to meet a God! Most of the Monarchy will also be visiting Chicago as there will be another informal Reception there organised by Francesca de Luca's people. You'll need to liaise with them Gerry."

Gerry nodded. "Fine, I'll get onto it."

"There were only one or two little hiccups…Bill, what's the problem between you and Queen Freyda's new consort?"

"There's no problem" said Bill calmly. "Well, he's an arrogant, self-centred ass, but that's never been a problem. Not so far as he's concerned anyway!"

Ulrich glanced at Azaria. "Wasn't he the one who tried to defend Lazlo?" he asked.

"That's him!" Bill gave Azaria a little smile.

"Okay" said Ulrich a little doubtfully. "As long as you're okay with him. How about Felipe de Castro?"

Bill leaned back beside me and stretched his arm across the back of the sofa behind my head. "Well, it's really not my problem any more since I have no intention of returning to Louisiana," he said "but I dislike him personally. Many vampires that I knew well and liked were killed during his brutal takeover of Sophie-Anne's territory. Besides that, I don't think he should be permitted to hold three territories anyway, and Lilith agrees with me, it's dangerous for one man, particularly someone as ambitious as he is, to have too much power. The Authority should rein him in."

Ulrich gazed at him speculatively. "I'll pass that on. Perhaps with Lilith's recommendation they'll do something about it."

I sipped my coffee and watched Bill. He appeared to have no idea of the irony of his comment. He who could, if he wished, obtain absolute power. But then, perhaps I was the only one who realised what a high price he would pay for that power, was indeed paying even now. As I watched him, every now and then I noticed him pause and stare into the distance with a strangely blank expression. I guessed that he was having one of those internal conversations with Lilith. So far she had not attempted to interfere in our relationship, apart from the incident the previous evening when I had felt her, alongside Bill, somehow enjoying our lovemaking. I shivered.

I would die before allowing Bill to realise it but I had to admit to myself that the idea made me really uncomfortable. During the time we had been together Bill and I had become completely relaxed in each other's company. I was accustomed to his casual affection, a brush of his hand, a gentle kiss on the cheek. But now somehow I was constantly aware of her, as though I felt that she were watching me, looking for a weakness that she could exploit. I sat up suddenly and tried to concentrate on the conversation.

Gerry had leaned forward and put his hands on his knees. "So what did you think of Sascha's piece of gossip?"

Ulrich sat back in the chair. "You mean about the witch?" he asked. "What was the name?"

"Lucilla" said Bill quietly.

We were all silent for a moment, the three male vampires looking worried. Azaria sat up. "Could she really be a threat to us?" she asked, turning to Bill.

Bill gave a little sigh. "Yes, it's possible, but unlikely. She would have to be very powerful, but such things have happened. There have been cases in the past."

"Cases of what?" asked Azaria, obviously fascinated.

"The best known happened in Logroňo, Spain, at the time of the Inquisition" said Ulrich. "A woman known as Antonia Gavilán, she was tried and burned as a witch, but we were not aware that she was a practitioner of necromancy. She hated vampires…" he did not elaborate and I saw Bill turn away.

"It's surprising how often we are the instigators of our own downfall!" he said sadly, taking my hand.

"She swore that if she was to burn, then we would burn with her" said Ulrich "and as they set the fire to her flesh she cast a spell which drew every vampire within twenty miles from their sleep and out into the sun. Hundreds burned…"

We all sat in silence. I had not really understood what "control over the dead" might mean in practice and I was shocked. No wonder they took witchcraft seriously! I squeezed Bill's hand and he turned and smiled down at me. "We'll just have to be careful" he said comfortingly. I just hoped that would turn out to be possible.

The conversation then turned to the logistics and security of the move to Chicago and I concentrated on eating. We stayed in New York for two more nights with part of each night being taken up with meetings with the Authority and one or two strictly controlled television appearances. The rest of the time was our own and we made the most of it.

All six of us took a couple of tourist trips together, we went on a boat trip around the harbour and all the way around Manhattan Island. But Bill and I occasionally managed a few hours alone. One night we walked across Central Park in the moonlight, tailed discreetly by Harry and his associates, to the Metropolitan Museum of Art and visited the Egyptian Galleries where Bill had met Theodore Davis in the 1900s. That fateful meeting which had laid the foundation for the trip to Egypt during which he had met Berenice.

At the end of our final night in New York we sat together in the rooftop bar in the Hotel looking out over Central Park. In a few hours we would be collected from the Hotel and driven to the Airport for the flight to O'Hare in Chicago.

"So what do you think of New York?" asked Bill. "Have you enjoyed yourself?"

"Oh yes! I certainly have." I answered with a smile.

"What have you been doing while I've been busy?" he asked.

"Oh, you know, shopping, wandering around, touristy things…we went for lunch at Katz's on the Lower East Side yesterday. Dan ate a pastrami sandwich which I'd have sworn was big enough to feed a family of six!

Bill laughed. "I guess Azaria must be keeping him busy!"

Six months ago Bill would have had a fit at the thought that Azaria was having sex with anyone. This change of attitude, combined with signing over his investments to me made me think that he had taken on a somewhat fatalistic perspective. That he was letting go of his existence just in case… I reached over and took his hand. "How are you coping?" I asked quietly. "This must all be a terrible strain on you, having to deal with all this political stuff and Lilith as well?"

He shifted on the cushioned bench seat and pulled me closer to him. "It's confusing" he said. "In some ways she tires me out, the constant concentration feels like I'm trying to carry out two conversations at once…in fact sometimes I am having two conversations at once! But at the same time, she gives me enough strength to be able to cope."

I snuggled up to him and put my head on his shoulder. We were alone in the bar area. I had noticed that there were two reactions to Bill now from other vampires. Either they approached him with an almost religious fervour and asked for Lilith's blessing or else they avoided him completely, seeming to be afraid to be near him. As people had noticed us sitting quietly beside the bar they had gradually edged away and left.

"Speaking of coping, how are you doing?" he asked, putting his arm around my shoulders. "This can't be easy for you either."

I smiled up at him. "Oh I'm fine, don't worry about me. When I think about what might have happened…"

I felt his arm tighten around me. "I hate to do this to you Alex. I feel that I'm pressurising you to stay but I know that as long as you're with me I'll be alright" he whispered "I don't think I could bear to lose you, not now."

"You won't!" I said firmly. "I'm not going anywhere!" I took his hand in mine. "I have no idea where this is going Bill and I know you don't either, but whatever happens, I promise you I'll be right there with you."

We sat holding hands in the darkness until Bill could feel the pull of dawn approaching and we had to head back to the suite.


	11. Chapter 11

Our arrival at Chicago was interesting, to say the least. Once again our private flight was timed to arrive at dusk and our security disembarked first to check the arrangements. Everything was fine until we came out of the airport to find our fleet of cars surrounded by a group of security men sent by the Queen of Illinois. They assumed that they were going to take over security for the visit.

Well, Harry wasn't having that! There was a stand off for about half an hour, the two groups eyeing each other suspiciously, Harry and his opposite number, glaring at each other with their hackles up like a pair of angry tom cats, while Ulrich tried to negotiate a peace.

We headed back into the airport and found a comfortable bar in the VIP area.

"Does this kind of thing happen often?" asked Dan curiously. "With royal visits?"

Bill laughed. "I have absolutely no idea. I've been fortunate in avoiding this kind of thing. When I worked for Queen Sophie-Anne I was based in New Orleans and didn't generally travel with the court."

"I suspect that the higher up you go the more touchy people are about security" explained Gerry. "There are no retired monarchs and since, technically, it's possible for us to live forever, that makes for very few vacancies!" He grinned at us. "Therefore, if you're an ambitious prospective King or Queen you would have to create your own vacancy!"

We all laughed, although Bill's laughter was a little strained and I realised that his Queen had in fact been eliminated by a rival, Felipe de Castro.

The quarrel was settled after a while and we were driven into Chicago, escorted by two sets of security. Again the Hotel had assigned us a set of private suites and, once we had settled in and unpacked the head of the Queen's security delivered an invitation to all our party to come out to The Queen's property outside the city to meet her and her court.

In deference to her position I changed out of my battered jeans and put on a pair of heavy chocolate brown silk trousers and a smart blouse with a matching silk jacket. I had no intention of letting Bill down by not looking my best and, judging by his smile as we headed downstairs, he was satisfied with my efforts. We all climbed back into the fleet of limos and headed out, following the Illinois security team.

The Queen's substantial and elegant mansion was set outside the city in several acres of grounds and we swept in through a pair of high wrought iron gates and down a long tree lined drive to the house. I spotted several more guards dotted discreetly around the entrance but we were greeted by a tall, thin, blond vampire who introduced himself as the Queen's private secretary. He escorted us down a corridor to a large wood panelled drawing room with two enormous bay windows looking out over the grounds and containing several sofas and half a dozen armchairs. To my slight alarm several of these were already occupied.

Bill, Ulrich and Gerry nodded politely to Russell Edgington, Felipe de Castro, Queen Freyda and Eric and we sat down, carefully out of reach, to await her Majesty's arrival. After chatting amongst ourselves for a few moments I realised, to my annoyance, that I needed to use a lavatory. I got up and made my way over to the secretary who was standing just inside the door in that blank trance like state that vampires appear able to assume when they have nothing better to do.

"Excuse me, could you tell me where the nearest bathroom is please?" I asked politely.

He blinked and smiled down at me. "Of course Miss" he gestured through the door and we stepped out into the corridor together. "Just down there, second door on the left" he said with another polite smile.

"Thank you!" I hurried off down the corridor.

As I emerged from the bathroom and headed back along the corridor I could hear voices coming from a room to my right. I recognised one as Sascha and paused, I wasn't trying to eavesdrop on their conversation, I just loved to hear his rich accent.

I was just about to move off when I heard him say "...you have to tell them you know!"

I paused, frozen with surprise. Tell us what?

"You will not mention this Sascha! You understand, I absolutely forbid it!" The woman's voice was firm and used to command. There seemed to be no possibility in her mind that Sascha might disobey her. I guessed she must be his Queen, Francesca de Luca and began to back slowly and quietly away from the partly open door.

"But my lady, you must! What if something were to happen? If she were to return?" Sascha sounded seriously worried. "You know as well as I do that if anything were to happen to Mr Compton the Authority would destroy us! All of us! We can't risk it!"

"You will say nothing and you will leave this to me. You should never have mentioned the possibility to them in the first place!" The voice was cold and determined. "Diana will be hunted down and destroyed. If she has betrayed us as Anne believes then it is only what she deserves." At this point I heard footsteps coming towards the door and I slipped across the corridor and back into the drawing room.

I sat down on the couch next to Bill and took his hand. "What is it?" he asked breaking off his conversation with Gerry and looking down at me, concern filling his blue eyes.

"Can I just have a quiet word?" I whispered, standing up and pulling gently on his hand. He got up instantly and we walked over to the large bay window looking out across the grounds. "I overheard Sascha taking to the Queen just now" I said quietly. "I didn't mean to, I was just coming back from the bathroom."

Bill lowered his head to mine. "What did you hear?" he asked. I relayed the conversation to him. "Strange..." he murmured. "It sounds as though they were talking about the rumour Sascha told us about, but he said her name was Lucilla, not Diana. Who's Diana? And come to that who's Anne?"

Just at that moment the door opened and a woman walked in. She was tall and elegant, dressed in a white suit, her bronze hair pulled up into a knot on the top of her head, making her look even taller.

Ulrich stood up and bowed his head slightly. "Your Majesty" he said.

Bill turned from the window and bowed his head politely in acknowledgement. I noticed that the other monarchs did not move from their seats. Evidently they didn't think it was necessary to show too much respect to someone of the same rank, or perhaps they just didn't like her?

Bill put his hand on my arm and murmured "wait here" then walked over to Ulrich who introduced him. "This is his Excellency William Compton, the vessel of the Goddess."

"Good Evening your Majesty. I trust there's no problem with our visit?" said Bill quietly.

The Queen nodded politely to him. "Why of course not your Excellency" she answered. "Everything is arranged."

To my surprise Bill stepped up to her and reached forward, placing his hand on her cheek. Instantly his skin flushed deep red and Francesca's eyes flew wide in shock. She looked terrified but seemed unable to move. The blue of Bill's eyes had turned the same startling colour as his skin and when he spoke the voice was not his but what I guessed must be Lilith's.

"**Do not attempt to lie to me, I am your Goddess!**"

The four monarchs, sorry, the three monarchs and Eric, sat up suddenly and stared at them.

"**Who is Diana and why might she be a danger to us?" **asked Lilith.

The Queen simply stared at him for a moment.** "Answer me!" **snarled Lilith.

I pressed myself back against the edge of the bay window and watched in absolute horror. I had seen a lot of scary things in the last few years but this...this was the most frightening thing I had ever seen. To see Bill's lips move and someone else's voice emerge...it was truly terrifying.

"Diana is...she is a member of my court, an old friend. But yesterday she attempted to break into my office, where the details of your visit were kept. She had something, some creatures with her. They fought off my security guards while she attempted to get at the information."

"**And Anne? Who is she?" **

"Anne is another old friend, she thinks that Diana has betrayed us to Lucilla, the witch. Anne knows witches, she hates them, says that her life was ruined by a witch."

"**She is here?"** asked Lilith.

"Yes!"

"**Fetch her!"**

The order was snapped out and Bill removed his hand from the Queen's face. She sagged for a moment and then turned to the door and gave an order to someone standing just outside.

"**Your head of security too. Get him in here!"**

Ulrich stepped forward looking furious. "Why were we not informed of this development immediately!" He tapped the bluetooth earpiece he wore to communicate with his security team and said "Harry! Get a team in here now, we're leaving for the airport!"

The room immediately erupted. The Queen was obviously horrified at the thought that Bill and his entourage might leave earlier than scheduled. "No, no you can't. Trust me, everything will be fine, we can handle it!"

Russell turned to Eric and said something which made Eric smile. "You're not wrong there!" he said. "He always was one to run away from problems!"

Ulrich turned on him furiously. "You! Be silent! You have nothing to do with this!"

Felipe de Castro stood up. "But he's right. The man's a coward!" He turned to Bill with a cynical little smile and opened his mouth to say something else just as the Queen began to argue her case with Ulrich again.

"**Silence!"**

Bill's roar stopped everyone dead in their tracks. A glass vase on the desk shattered into pieces and the tinkle of the pieces of glass falling was the only sound in the sudden absolute quiet. I gazed in shock at Bill whose fangs had run out so far that he couldn't close his lips over them. He began to walk towards the window where I stood but De Castro was in his way. He made a flicking gesture with his hand, as you would to brush away an annoying fly, and De Castro was flung sideways against the wall so hard the wood panelling splintered. He scrambled to his feet in a panic, brushing away large splinters of wood which I guessed could have been fatal.

Queen Freyda, who was standing close by backed away hurriedly and Bill came over and put his hand on my shoulder. I felt his fingertips dig in as he clutched at me for a moment and I looked up to see his eyes change from red back to his usual brilliant blue. He took a deep breath and his fangs retracted with an audible "click". He bowed his head and rested his forehead against mine for a moment.

Suddenly the red glaze which had dimmed my sight was gone and I was looking down into Alex's worried grey eyes. "Are you okay Bill?" she whispered.

"Yes, yes I'm fine!" I smiled down at her and released her shoulder. She flexed her arm, her expression twisting with discomfort and I realised with horror that I had hurt her.

"Oh sweetheart, I'm sorry!" I murmured.

"It's okay...not now" she said, looking behind me.

I turned and saw a short stocky vampire with dark hair come into the room.

Queen Francesca turned to me and said "This is Angelo, my head of security. Angelo, explain to Mr Compton what happened last night."

He shrugged casually. "We had a security breach. Something broke the perimeter and my men went out to see what was happening. There was a lot of confusion as we tried to find out exactly what these things were and while they were gone a female vampire got into the house and attempted to break into the Queen's office. We think it was Diana, one of the Queen's court, that would explain how she got in and knew where to go. One of my men saw the open door and called out and tried to stop her but he was human and couldn't catch her so she got away."

"Do you have any idea what she wanted?" asked Ulrich.

"Not really no. She took nothing away with her."

"I can't say that you're being particularly helpful!" said Ulrich somewhat impatiently.

"Well, we did manage to capture one of the creatures she was using but it's also been singularly unhelpful" he said.

"Creature?" asked Ulrich. "What kind of creature?"

Angelo shrugged again. "No idea! I've never seen anything like it before. It's in the cells downstairs."

Ulrich looked at me questioningly. "What do you think?"

"Can't do any harm to take a look!" I said. Then it occurred to me to wonder what they had done to this creature to try and make it more "helpful". I turned to Alex. "Would you rather stay here?"

"I'd rather stay with you if that's okay" she said nervously.

I lowered my voice slightly. "We don't know what this creature is….or what has been done to it. It may not be very pleasant for you…"

She looked over at Angelo I could almost see her thinking, yes, he looks like the sort of person who would torture a captured….well, anything.

"I think I'd still rather stay with you if you don't mind" she said.

"Okay" I said a little reluctantly. "But keep behind me." She nodded solemnly, her grey eyes wide with fright.

"If you'd like to come this way?" said Angelo and made a sweeping gesture towards the door. He led us down a long corridor and through another doorway which opened on a narrow staircase. I saw Alex hesitate at the head of the stairs and realised that it reminded her of the staircase down to the cells under Darius Ashman's house where she and Lucy had been held. I reached back, took her hand and tucked it under my arm. Her hand tightened and she moved a little closer to me. Holding her tight against me I started down the stairs.


	12. Chapter 12

The basement cells were not the same as those Alex had been held in...they were much worse. The smell hit me first, halfway down the stairs. I heard a gasp behind me and looked back to see that the three monarchs had followed Ulrich and I down. Freya was standing behind me with a handkerchief over her mouth. Alex gave a little snort of derision.

"It's all right for you lot...you don't need to breathe!" she gasped.

There were four guards stationed beside the only occupied cell and inside it was...well, a creature. It was naked and its skin was a greyish colour. It appeared to be basically humanoid but its hands and feet were grotesquely elongated and its head looked more like that of a dog with long jaws full of jagged looking teeth. It was crouched in a corner against the dirty brick wall, as far away from the bars as it could get. There was a metal collar around its neck and the skin around it looked reddened and blistered. It turned its head as we entered and I saw that there was a line of burn scars all down one side of its body. There was silence in the dingy basement as we stared at the creature in astonishment.

"What the hell is that?" asked Russell.

"We have no idea" answered Angelo but it was with Diana and she left it behind when she fled. We've tried to get information out of it but we don't even know if it's intelligent enough to understand what we want from it. Or if it even understands what's happening." He took a step towards the bars and the creature flinched back, its eyes, a curious shade of pale silvery grey, following him.

"Oh, I think it understands all right!" I said, not bothering to hide the disgust I felt.

The creature turned its head towards me and spoke. The language was harsh and guttural and completely incomprehensible but it was clearly trying to communicate.

Angelo's eyebrows shot up. "It's never done that before!" he said, obviously surprised. He reached towards the bars and picked up a chain which I now saw was attached to the metal collar. He hauled on the chain and the creature was dragged across the floor. It let out a high pitched sound of distress and began to scrabble at the floor with its long claws, trying to stop its inexorable slide towards the bars.

"Stop!" I cried. "Let go of that chain!"

Angelo let go in sheer surprise. I don't think it had occurred to him that anyone other than his Queen would dare to speak to him in that tone of voice.

"Why?" he asked.

"It's obviously terrified of us!" I said. "I wonder why that could be?" Just then I felt a movement at my side and turned to see Alex step forward towards the bars. "Wait!" I snatched her back and held her to me in a panic. "Careful Alex!" I whispered "you know nothing about this thing."

"Oh I think I might do actually" she said softly. "Look at its neck Bill, the collar's burnt it!" She wriggled out of my arms and stepped carefully forward with me close behind her. The creature was squatting on the concrete floor staring at her with equal fascination. As I watched, it leaned forward and sniffed at the air like a large bald hunting dog. It stared up at her without a trace of fear in its eyes, only a strange curiosity.

"That iron collar has burned its flesh" she said. It's not afraid of us! It's afraid of the bars! Of the iron! It's a faerie!"

There was a sudden burst of laughter from behind us. "You're not serious!" I said. "I'd hate to find that at the bottom of my garden!"

Alex turned and stared up at me angrily. "Not a fairy…I mean it comes from faerie…the realm of faerie. Oh…" she gave me a frustrated look. "When I was talking to Aislynn, you remember, she told me about Azaria? Well she said that Azaria's mother, Mab's daughter, could "walk between the worlds". I think this is what she meant Bill!" She was looking up at me, her eyes shining with excitement. "You remember how Mab appeared in the Authority's courtroom?" I heard a sharp intake of breath behind me and turned to see Eric. Of course…..he had been there at the time. "She did the same sort of thing when she visited us at the Mill House. There was a shimmering in the air and she just walked through it…as if she had come through from another realm, another reality. I think that's what faerie is. And that's where this creature is from."

There was a long silence while we all stared at her, trying to take this in. _**I'm impressed! Very impressed!**_ The voice insinuated itself quietly into my head. _**Your little pet has more intelligence than the rest of you put together! **_You mean she's right? I thought. _**She is**_ _**absolutely correct! This poor creature is no threat to you my friend, it only wants to go home.**_ I looked through the bars at the dog-like creature which was still staring, seemingly entranced, at Alex. How would you know that? I thought vaguely. _**It said so, it is trapped here.**_ The poor thing…wait! You understood it? _**Curiously enough yes, it appears to be speaking a language from the area around Babylon, for some reason….in ancient times creatures from other realms were much more common than they are today. They almost never come here now…..so much for your progress! **_I smiled to myself. Can you translate for me? _**Why of course!**_ I felt a curious sensation as if something were shifting inside my head and a tingling in my ear. _**Speak to it William and I shall translate your words between your mind and your tongue. Then I shall do the same for its replies. **_

I turned to Angelo "You! Open that door now!"

He stared at me in astonishment but didn't move.

"Very well" I raised my hand and pointed at the lock which held the barred gate to the cell closed. Reaching down as Lilith had taught me into the well of cold power granted to me by Mab, I pushed it out to the lock and watched as a film of ice formed over the metal. With a slight effort of will I broke the cold brittle iron apart and the lock fell in pieces to the floor. _**Very nicely done William. You're learning fast!**_ You concentrate on the translation, I thought. I took hold of Angelo by the collar of his jacket and bundled him through the door before he had time to protest.

Crouching down before the creature I said "It's okay, I won't let him hurt you." At least that's what I thought I said…what I actually heard was something in the same harsh language I had heard from the creature earlier. Everyone took a few steps back and stared at me, their mouths falling open in surprise.

The creature looked equally surprised and moved its head towards me, the movement rubbing its neck against the collar. It gave another high pitched cry and said "please my Lord, help me….the pain….."

"Get that collar off!" I said harshly.

"Are you insane!" Angelo was staring at me as if I had gone mad.

I glared up at him and I could feel Lilith's anger burning in my eyes. "Would you like to find out?" I growled.

He began fumbling in a pocket and produced a key. The creature flinched as he approached it and I reached out a hand to it. "Don't be afraid, I won't let him hurt you again."

Angelo warily unfastened the collar and backed away as I carefully removed it from the raw burned flesh of the creature's throat. It gave a little sigh of relief and looked up at me. "Please…..I was not my intention to harm anyone. I was brought here against my will." The sound I heard was the same incomprehensible language the creature had spoken before, but now I understood it! I stood up and held out my hand. The creature took it and stood up in front of me. When fully upright it was about a foot taller than me but stood slightly stooped with its head lowered. I looked around and saw Alex just behind me, everyone else was well outside the cell but I noticed that several more vampires had slipped down the stairs and were watching me with open mouths.

"Are you saying that you can understand that thing? You can speak its language?" asked Russell in astonishment.

"No" I smiled, "but Lilith can." I turned back to the creature. "How did you get here?" I asked.

It turned its head and looked around at the assembled vampires. "I was brought here with two others of my kind by a powerful sorcerer. She was able to cast a spell to force us to obey her. When she fled from your people my brothers escaped but I….." he glanced at Angelo. "I was captured."

"Who is she?" I asked. "And what does she want from us? We were told that she is a necromancer, that she has power over death."

"No, this is not true. She is an old spirit and very powerful, yet she is not immortal. She cheats death by moving from her body to another. In this way she has moved through time, always leaving one body as it ages and finding another, younger one. She is known as the corpsetaker."

"Should we fear her then? If she has no power over the dead then she cannot harm us can she?"

The creature looked into my eyes and said "I think you should fear her my Lord. She has been looking for one of your kind, a blood drinker. She knows that your bodies are stronger, more resilient than normal humans. She has taken one of the Queen's servants, but recently she has heard of one…..one who has the powers of a God. Would this be you my Lord?"

I sighed. "I guess so!"

"Then it is you that she seeks. You should take care."

I turned back to the others. "It appears that your necromancer is a body snatcher. She moves from one to another to escape death." I turned back to my new friend. "Does she do this often? How easy is it for her?"

"It is not easy" he said. "She does not move to a new body lightly. The circumstances have to be right and she will wait until she is quite sure of her choice."

"What happens to...the original occupant?" I asked curiously.

"They will be transferred into her old body. If they do not die from the shock of the transfer then she usually kills them herself."

I thought for a moment. "Is there any other help you can give us?" I asked.

The creature looked down sadly, "I will help you all I can. If you need me, I will be here."

"We don't want to keep you here. Please...you can leave. No-one will stop you" I said.

"Where would I go?" he asked helplessly. "I have nowhere."

"Can you not go home?" I asked.

The creature gave a little sigh. "I know how to open a portal, but I have not the strength...not alone."

"Is there some way we can help you?"

He looked up and stared into my eyes for a moment as if trying to judge if I were genuinely willing to help him. Then he moved forward and reached out to place his elongated fingers on my chest. "Yes" he said, a slight glimmer of hope appearing in his strange silvery eyes. "You could help me. You have Mab's power, I can feel it. Your strength could help me open the way."

Lily? Is that possible? I thought. _**Indeed you could William. It will not harm you, the power will return. **_Are you sure? I thought, suspiciously. _**I am inside your mind William. **_She sounded slightly indignant that I should question her. _**As you cannot lie to me, so I cannot lie to you.**_

I nodded. "Very well, I will help you if I can."

The creature straightened up suddenly, towering over me and began to sniff the air. "Not here" he said. "Upstairs, at the level of the earth."

I gestured to the door and he walked out of the cell, ducking his head slightly to get under the bars and taking care not to allow them to touch his skin. There was a sudden mad scramble for the stairs as the assembled vampires made a run for it and I turned suddenly, looking for Alex. She was behind me in the cell and she smiled at me and took my hand. "You're going to help him aren't you?" she said with a grin. "I knew it!"

I followed the creature up the stairs and down the corridor, watching with interest as it sniffed the air, searching, I supposed, for a suitable place to open the portal. It stopped outside two double doors and placed a hand on one, pushing it open gently. The room beyond was large, a ballroom and a great empty space opened up around the entrance as the occupants backed away from the creature. The rest of the room was packed with vampires, those who had been in the drawing room and others of the court who had heard what was happening. Ulrich slipped in behind us and stood beside the doorway.

"What has it told you?" he asked, eyeing the creature warily.

"It looks like our information was partially correct. The sorcerer is looking for vampires, me in particular. But she is not a necromancer, she does not have control over the dead, she uses the bodies of others to escape her own death."

"So why does she want us?" he asked.

"Because our bodies are stronger and more resilient than those of mortals. And mine contains the power of a God!"

"I see!" Ulrich looked very serious and glanced around, checking on his security detail. "What's happening now? What does it want?"

I smiled. "What we all want Ulrich, he wants to go home!"

I watched as the creature sniffed around for a moment until it appeared to find the right spot. He held out a hand to me and I walked over to him. "What do you want me to do?" I asked.

He placed a hand on my shoulder and looked down into my eyes. "Share your power with me my Lord" he said. He closed his eyes and began to mutter something that apparently even Lilith didn't understand. I felt a tingling sensation in my shoulder and suddenly the well of cold power inside me opened and I could feel it flowing up into his hand. His eyes flew open and he waved a hand before us. For a moment I thought I was about to faint. The air before me seemed to blur, then I realised that it was not my eyes that were failing, it was the air itself. A patch of air in front of us had become opaque and shimmered like a silk curtain.

The creature took his hand from my shoulder and knelt down before me. "Thank you my Lord. I will not soon forget your kindness." Then he rose smoothly, stepped into the shimmering patch of air and disappeared. As I stood alone in the centre of the open space left in the middle of the ballroom I realised that there would be no more questions. No more doubts. Lilith's questioning of the Queen together with my seemingly easy and friendly conversation with this strange creature from the realm of Faerie had quashed any uncertainty about my Power.

Ulrich came over to me looking thoughtful. "So, what do you think we should do? Do you want to head back to England? She might follow you I suppose."

I sighed. "Well, I don't think I have too much to worry about actually. I've got one uninvited guest in my head already! What's another one?"

Ulrich chuckled at this. "Well you know what they say - Better the Devil you know!"

I laughed. "Ouch! Oh really Ulrich! She didn't appreciate that at all!"

"I do beg her pardon" he said very seriously. "Please assure her that we will do our best to take good care of you!"


	13. Chapter 13

I stood to one side watching Ulrich talking to Bill, wondering what on earth was happening. I had guessed straight away that it was Lilith who had enabled Bill to speak to the faerie creature but was I was extremely concerned by what it had told him. Obviously this witch knew that he was the strongest and most powerful vampire around and therefore he was the one she wanted. But who was she? Where was she?

We needed someone who knew about witches!

I walked over to Ulrich and Bill and put a hand on Bill's arm. He smiled and slid an arm around me. "Are you okay?" he asked.

"Fine" I answered. "So she's looking for you?"

"It looks that way" he said ruefully. "Being a God is proving to be nothing but trouble!"

"Yes, very amusing, but this is serious Bill. Will you please stop trying to protect me? We don't know enough about her, we need more information. We need to speak to this Anne. The one who is supposed to know all about witches."

"We?" he said. "Don't you think you'd be safer back at the Hotel?"

"What did I just say!" I hissed, exasperated. "She's not looking for humans, she's after you! Well she'll have to get past me first!"

Even as I said it I realised how ridiculous it sounded. I saw Ulrich smile to himself and I felt like an idiot. But Bill didn't smile, he didn't laugh at me. Instead he pulled me closer and kissed me. "I know that" he said quietly. "That's what I'm afraid of." He walked with me away from the others bending his head to talk to me softly. "If anything did happen you'd try and help me I know that. I don't want anyone to get hurt for my sake, least of all you!"

"Oh Bill" I struggled to explain how I felt. "If I'm with you at least I'll have a chance. Don't you see, I may not be able to help you, but if I'm at the Hotel and I hear that something's happened to you...well, I'll never know will I? I'd rather try and fail than not try at all and spend the rest of my life wondering if I could have done something."

Bill stared at me for a long time before speaking. "Alright, let's go and find this Anne shall we. Didn't I demand that she be fetched earlier?" He raised his voice a little. "Was no-one listening?"

The Queen snapped an order to her secretary and came over to us. "If you would like to wait in the drawing room Your Excellency. Anne will be brought to you in a moment."

Bill took my hand and we walked down the corridor to the drawing room. The rest of our party sat quietly waiting until the blond secretary came in with a girl. She was dressed in jeans and a check skirt but her long hair was tied up on her head in a somewhat old fashioned twist. She looked to be in her late teens but her expression belied her apparent youth. It was hard and cold. Something had clearly taught her that life was tough and she had learned this lesson well.

"This is her Majesty's advisor" he said. He turned to the girl. "Her Majesty wishes you to help these people in any way you can."

"Certainly" she said giving me a little smile and sitting down in a armchair in front of us. "What do you need to know? I gather you want information on the witch Lucilla?"

"Good evening Anne" said Bill politely. "Perhaps you could tell us something about yourself and how you acquired your knowledge of witches?"

Anne gave a little sigh. "Certainly I can" she said. "I have made a study of witchcraft since my life and all my family were ruined by a witch. I was introduced to Francesca a century ago by someone I believe you know Mr Compton. Anastasia Luccaccio. But in life my name was Anne Neville. I was born in England in 1456, the younger daughter of The Earl of Warwick, whom men called "The Kingmaker".

I sat up suddenly fired with interest. "The Cousins' War, the Wars of the Roses!" I said. "Your father put Edward of York on the Throne of England."

"That's right, he did." Anne's eyes turned to me and I saw a sadness in them, the old disillusionment of a child who finds that their father is not the perfect, all powerful being they had imagined him to be. "We Nevilles had been staunch supporters of the House of York for generations. Throughout my childhood my father fought tirelessly for Edward against Henry and Margaret of Anjou. She was the she-wolf who haunted my childhood nightmares. But even in his hour of triumph the seeds of our downfall were being sown. My father was planning a match for Edward with a French princess to cement his alliances, he imagined that he would rule through them, but Edward had other ideas... On his way back to London from the final battle at Towton he met a lady..." she gave a little sniff, "well, I say a lady but she was a commoner, a witch, her name was Elizabeth Woodville, the widow of a Lord Grey who had fallen in battle. She bewitched Edward who fell hopelessly in love with her and, without mentioning anything to my father, he returned and married her in secret and brought her to London as his Queen."

Anne smiled. "I was just a child and worshipped my father, but when I was presented at court even I could understand why he did it. She was the most beautiful woman I had ever seen. But her mother Jacquetta and her father, Lord Rivers, were just as ambitious as my father and the places and positions at court which father had assumed would be ours were instead given to members of the Rivers family. Also the new Queen had six sisters and proceeded to arrange marriages for them with all the most eligible young men in the realm.

Father was furious. He swore that he had not put Edward on the Throne of England so that the Rivers family could rule. Soon a rumour began circulating at court that Edward was illegitimate. That his father was not Richard Plantagenet, Duke of York but an English archer. My sister and I were horrified as his mother was our great aunt Cecily Neville, but it appeared that the rumour was started by father himself! Edward and his two brothers had been brought up with us at Warwick and so we were not surprised when my sister Isobel was betrothed to George. However, we soon realised that father's intention was to overthrow Edward and put George on the throne in his place."

Bill and I sat silently on the sofa together, fascinated by this inside view of the English court in the fifteenth century. "Clearly Isobel had no problem with this plan since it would make her Queen of England, although both of us were concerned that he would use her in this way as a pawn for his ambition. What would happen to us if father's plans failed? Well, we soon discovered the answer. His rebellion did fail and we fled to Calais, Isobel heavily pregnant with George's child."

Anne's eyes filled with blood red tears at the memory. "The voyage to Calais was a disaster" she said. "Both the Queen and her mother Jacquetta were witches and they whistled up a terrible storm to wreck our ships. My poor sister lost her child after many hours of labour with no-one to help her but my mother and I. It was a boy...a boy who might have been King of England." Her voice faded away for a moment and I began to appreciate how such small things as setting sail on the wrong day could affect the course of history.

"We somehow survived the night and made it back to Calais but to our dismay, Edward's agents had got there first and refused us entry to the harbour. We had to flee to France like traitors!"

I refrained from pointing out that they were, in fact, traitors. It didn't seem like a good idea at the time!

"It was some time later that I was summoned to my father and informed that I was to be betrothed to the son of his new ally Margaret of Anjou." Can you imagine my shock my dear. The woman I had hated and feared throughout my childhood was to be my mother-in-law! I had never before seen anyone as angry as George. He screamed at father that he had not betrayed his brother and his House to put a Lancaster on the throne. But father just said calmly that he had done all he could for him and that when my new husband Prince Edward became King that I would be Queen. Clearly his only concern was that he would rule through us."

"It didn't work out that way though did it?" I asked. "Your husband was killed at the battle of Tewkesbury and your father, at Barnet."

Anne sighed. "No. We were defeated. My mother abandoned me and went into Sanctuary at Beaulieu Abbey. I was fifteen years old, a widow. Worse, the widow of a traitor and the daughter of a traitor. I went to live with my sister Isobel and her husband George, Duke of Clarence. Everyone thought that they were so kind, to look after me!" She laughed bitterly. "He kept me a prisoner! His only intention was to get our mother's inheritance for himself."

"But you escaped didn't you?" I asked. "You were rescued by Richard, George's brother?"

"Ah yes...well that's where the stories get confused" she said. "Richard came to see me. He told me that he loved me and that he would help me get my inheritance back, but I didn't trust him. Why would I? Why would I trust any of them, the three York brothers. Edward and his army, with Richard at his side, had killed my father and my husband. George had tried to steal my inheritance with the connivance of my own sister! No, his plan was that I should wait for him, disguised, in the kitchens and he would come and take me away. But there was a girl who worked in the kitchens, she was bright and ambitious and she looked a lot like me." Anne looked thoughtful for a moment. "I can't remember her name...it was so long ago now. We changed our clothes and I left. When Richard arrived she went with him."

"But...he never said anything?" I asked, amazed. "Surely he knew, you couldn't have been that much alike!"

She laughed. "Oh he knew all right! But Isobel and I were the heiresses to the richest estate in England. He wasn't going to risk losing that! They went ahead with the plan without me. He married her and he and George divided our inheritance between them. Isobel and George were both fixated on ousting Edward and getting the throne for George, who was his brother's heir until his sons came of age. But the real irony was that when Edward died George, who was Duke of Clarence, had already been tried and executed for treason and Richard became king."

"So you might have been Queen after all?" I said softly. "If you had stayed?"

She smiled at me but her eyes were hard and cold. "By then I had been turned and in many ways I was glad of it. Women had no power of their own in those days. We were defined by our menfolk. You were someone's daughter, then someone's wife, and finally someone's mother. If I had married Richard, I would have been as much his possession as his warhorse or his hunting dogs. I may look like a child to you but believe me, no man will ever command me again!"

"You really believed that Elizabeth Woodville was a witch?" I asked curiously.

She gave me a pitying glance. "It was well known at the time" she said. "People no longer believe in witchcraft these days but, trust me, it has not gone away! Her mother Jacquetta came from a family well known for their powers. All the women in her family were said to have the sight." She paused for a moment. "My sister Isobel and her two children were both dead before George was condemned. He and I both believed that she poisoned them."

"But why would you think that?" asked Bill.

"Her father, Richard Woodville, Earl Rivers was executed by my father during the wars. She was said to have had a box which she kept in her jewellery case. In it was a piece of parchment on which were written two names, in blood. Isobel and I always believed that they were ours. She hated us as much as we hated her!"

I had a sudden thought. "She was the mother of the two princes? The ones Richard imprisoned in the Tower?"

"That's right. Edward and Richard"

I had to ask. "Do you know what happened to them?"

She smiled. "No, I don't. By then I had left England. Most historians, together with Shakespeare, say that Richard murdered them but I don't believe that. We were brought up together. I may not have trusted Richard myself but I knew him well. He worshipped his brother. Those boys were his nephews, I can't believe that he would have harmed them."

I fell silent, unable to believe that I was talking with someone who had known Richard III. Known him well, might even have married him and become Queen of England.

Bill gave a little cough. "And Lucilla? What can you tell us about her?"


	14. Chapter 14

Anne sat back and thought for a moment. "I really know very little about her. I've never actually seen her but I first heard the name when I was in Italy in the 17th century." She turned to Bill. "That was where I first met Anastasia Lucaccio. I gather she is a friend of yours?" She gave me a quick, sideways glance as if unsure that I should be privy to this information.

I gave her a tiny smile. "Yes, I've met Anastasia." I said patiently. I was well used to female vampires being unable to understand what Bill saw in me. It still annoyed me but I had come to accept it. Anne obviously assumed that Bill's relationship with Anastasia was either a secret, or was even ongoing without my knowledge.

"Well, Lucilla's name was well known in Florence, among certain circles, as a witch. She advertised discreetly by word of mouth. Apparently she made quite a good living. Ladies would go to her to purchase potions to attract a lover, and then to purchase others when the first was too successful!"

Anne's young face was a mask of disdain at the thought of any woman deliberately wanting to attract a man. I have to admit to feeling slightly sorry for her. After all, her experience of men had been unremittingly bad. Married off by her father to the son of her greatest enemy in an attempt to further his political ambition. Her husband and father killed by the army of the three brothers who had been brought up as her friends. No wonder she despised them!

"I had few suspicions at first. She might simply have been one of the many wise women who were knowledgeable with herbs and wished to help their sisters. However, the same name kept coming up, years later, in different parts of Europe and then in the New World. When I first heard the name again, perhaps fifty years later in France I assumed that it was a co-incidence, or perhaps her daughter, or granddaughter using the same name. It is possible that this may be the case, that there are many women in the same family, all with the same skills and using the same name, but from studying her actions and talking with her customers when I could I became convinced that it was the same woman."

She sat forward in her chair and looked at Bill seriously. "You appreciate what this means. If it is the same woman then she must be a practitioner of necromancy, one of great power if she is able to cheat death in this way."

There was silence for a moment. "Poor Diana, when Lucilla was first reported to be in this area she was curious about her after everything I had said. She actively sought her out." Anne put her head in her hands. "This is my fault! I should never have told her my suspicions. She must have found Lucilla and fallen under some spell. Nothing else would have made her betray her Queen."

The Queen came over and knelt in front of Anne's chair. "You mustn't blame yourself. Diana knew what she was doing. It was her decision."

Bill sat up a little straighter. "Actually we don't know that she does practice necromancy at all. The creature that she coerced to help her says that she does not. She is obviously a powerful sorcerer, but not a necromancer."

Anne sat up suddenly. "You spoke to that creature? How is that possible?" She turned to the Queen who said "Yes, he spoke to it and it understood him."

She stared at Bill in astonishment. "It was Lilith who understood it, not me" he explained with a smile.

"But if she is not a necromancer then…is this not the same woman?" she asked, clearly puzzled.

"Oh I believe it is" said Bill. "Apparently she practices a form of magic which enables her to steal another's body. The creature called her the corpsetaker. This is how she has survived so long. By moving from one body to another. Since she has continued to do this over centuries she has acquired considerable knowledge and also great power."

I had a sudden thought. "So what if the person who broke in here wasn't Diana?"

The Queen gave me a pitying look. "My dear, she was seen and recognised. She is well known in my court!"

"But what if Diana wasn't bewitched by Lucilla?" I persisted. "What if Diana IS Lucilla?"

Everyone stared at me. "Did she speak to anyone?" asked Bill.

"No" said the Queen. She turned back to Anne. "Is this possible?"

"If what this creature said is true, then yes. But what will have happened to Diana?" She and the Queen turned to Bill.

"I'm sorry" he said sadly. "From what the creature told me I'm afraid she is gone. I think Alex is right. This would be a sensible move for her if she really is looking for me, as a vampire and a member of your court she would expect to have had much greater access to information and might even possibly have been invited to meet me. Suppose that she had not been discovered that night? Would she not have been in this house now?"

"She would indeed" said the Queen.

"Do you have a photograph of her?" asked Bill.

The Queen stood up and went to the door just as it opened and Ulrich and Gerry came in. She slipped out and gave an order to the secretary who was standing just outside.

"Have you managed to get any more information?" asked Gerry.

Bill stood up and turned to them. "It would appear likely that the witch Lucilla is now inhabiting the body of Diana. However, she has not tried to return here, or not yet anyway."

"Do we know what she looks like?" asked Ulrich practically.

"Her Majesty has sent for a photograph, we should get copies to all the security teams. In the meantime I can see no alternative but to carry on as normal. She is presumably unaware that we know who she is and if we change our plans it will only scare her off. That is, if we're right of course!"

"Don't we want to scare her off?" asked Gerry, surprised. "Sounds like a good idea to me!"

"But then she would only try again and we would be unaware of it" said Bill. "At least now we know what we're up against."

We left shortly afterwards to return to the relative safety of the Hotel. Copies of a photograph showing Diana with the Queen were circulated to all our security personnel. There was nothing particularly noteworthy about her appearance. She was of average height with short dark hair and brown eyes, I stared at the photograph, wondering if I would recognise her if I saw her.

Over the next few nights we attended various events organised by the Illinois Court but there was no sign of Diana. Bill and I were introduced to influential members of the courts of both Illinois and Indiana, the territory that Queen Francesca de Luca technically ruled jointly with her husband. At first everyone was on high alert but gradually we began to think that, since Diana had been discovered at the mansion on that first night, she must realise that she would be stopped by the Queen's security and might not be able to talk her way out of it.

On our final night in Chicago the Queen had arranged a visit to the Field Museum for our party. I loved museums and, since Bill was going to be there, several others from the Authority and the various vampire courts had decided to join us. The fleet of cars dropped us on Lake Shore Drive, opposite Soldiers Field and we walked across and looked out over the dark expanse of Lake Michigan.

Bill put an arm around my shoulders. "Have you enjoyed the trip?" he asked.

"So far yes" I answered. "Though I admit, I'll be happier when we're safe at home."

I could see from Bill's face that he didn't think we would be safe, not anywhere. But he changed the subject. "So what do you want to see in the museum?"

I leaned my head on his chest and thought for a moment. "Well" I said "they have the biggest and most complete Tyrannosaurus Rex skeleton in the world!" I could feel the vibration in Bill's chest as he struggled not to laugh out loud.

"How on earth do you know that?" He asked with a chuckle.

"Oh, I don't know. I read it somewhere! She's called Sue!" I laughed.

"You never cease to amaze me! You seem to absorb information like a sponge!" he said, leaning down to plant a kiss on my forehead. "Well! Let's go then, we don't want to miss this!"

We strolled, hand in hand, up the broad flight of steps to the entrance. Information on our visit must have leaked out somehow as I noticed a small group of protesters with placards and "Fellowship of the Sun" baseball caps by the doors but there were a couple of cops keeping them back as well as our security staff. The main hall of the museum was a long two storied room with balconies on three sides. There was a plinth on which stood two enormous stuffed African Elephants on the right hand side and further back another one holding Sue the T Rex.

Bill and I strolled over to Sue and gazed up at her. "Those are the genuine fossilized bones too." I told him. "None of that plastic reproduction nonsense! Except for the head, that would have been too heavy."

"That's one nasty looking set of teeth!" said Bill.

I chuckled. "You're a fine one to talk."

He laughed and slipped an arm around my waist. "Let's go and take a look around shall we?"

We wandered around some of the side galleries for a while until Bill looked up suddenly from a case full of American Indian artefacts and asked "Did you hear that?"

"What?" I asked, instantly alert. "You heard something?"

We had wandered away from the others and were alone in the gallery. Bill gestured to me to stay where I was and as he did so there was a loud crash from the direction of the main hall.

"Okay! I heard that!" I whispered.

"Stay back" said Bill and began edging silently to the door. He peered carefully round the doorpost and then gestured to me to join him. "It's coming from the main Hall" he whispered. "Stay behind me!" He slipped across the room and peeped out into the Hall. "It's those damned protesters!" he muttered. "They've started a fight!"

"We should just wait here." I whispered urgently to him. "Harry and his men will sort them out."

"They're outnumbered" Bill whispered back. "It'll take them a while to regroup. You wait here, I'll just go and get Dan and Azaria out of the way."

"Bill! You should stay here!" I hissed.

Bill looked down at me impatiently. "Come on Alex! I can deal with a few humans! I won't be a moment." He slipped silently around the door and disappeared.

I stood for a moment with my back to the wall beside the door listening to what sounded like a riot going on in the main Hall. I told myself firmly that I should stay here and keep my head down. That lasted all of thirty seconds until I just had to know what was happening. As carefully and quietly as I could I peered around the door into the Hall. It was carnage! The couple of protesters we had noticed on the way in had been joined by a lot more who were fighting with the Police and the security guards. However, my eye was drawn to a woman who was standing alone beside the entrance gate, she was not human, I could tell this from the pallor of her skin and her unnatural stillness, but I didn't know her. She seemed familiar somehow though, one of Queen Francesca's court perhaps?

As I stood watching her she turned her head slightly and I was able to see her face clearly. It was Diana! I recognised her from the photograph!


	15. Chapter 15

I looked around in a panic for Bill but he was nowhere to be seen. He must be searching the side galleries for Azaria, I thought. Security! I needed someone from our security team. It turned out that they were having a hard time since, as Bill had pointed out, they were not only outnumbered but they did not wish to do too much harm to the apparently unarmed protesters. I saw three men grab Harry and they all went down in a struggling heap. I pressed myself back into the doorway and looked around. Most of the other protesters were being dealt with by now but as I glanced back at Harry I saw one of three men struggling with him reach down to his boot and pull out a long curved knife. He had Harry on his back on the floor, his two friends holding him down. As I watched in horror I recalled that night when we had travelled through the Pyrenees in the quest to find Azaria's resting place. When he had told me that he was going to work for the Authority for a few more years until he had made enough money to pay off his mortgage and go home to his wife and children.

I suddenly felt a burning fury that some bigoted idiot thought it was acceptable to kill this good man just for doing his job and trying to protect us. Without even thinking I stepped out of the doorway and flung out a hand towards him just as he lifted the knife. A bolt of blue fire shot out of my hand and hit the man full in the chest, knocking him backwards and throwing him several feet across the floor. I stared at my hand in shock as two more security men grabbed the other two protesters and pulled them off Harry.

I looked around me and saw that most of the protesters were now being hauled away and arrested, but when I looked more carefully to see where Bill had gone I realised with another shock that the attack had merely been a diversion. I saw Diana, if that was who she was, struggling on the ground with Azaria and I started to run towards them. As I did so I saw Bill appear from a side gallery, also heading for Azaria. Obviously he got there first but as he did I saw Diana, turn her head and glance back to see where he was.

"No! Bill wait!" I shouted, but it was too late. As soon as Bill touched her she dropped Azaria and turned on him. The creature from Faerie had told us that she was searching for Bill and now she had him. The attack on Azaria had been a feint, she obviously knew that he would rush, without thinking, to her defence. And Bill had walked right into the trap!

He was obviously much stronger physically and in seconds he had her on her back on the floor and was kneeling astride her. He had picked up a broken piece of wood from a smashed display case and raised it as an improvised stake. Suddenly, as I watched, she raised her hand and placed it on his chest. His head flew back and I saw his eyes widen in surprise. For a few seconds I thought I saw a faint mist gathering around them and then Diana's eyes closed and she fell back limp onto the floor beneath him. Bill let go of the body and got up onto his knees, the makeshift stake falling from his hand and rolling away across the floor. Then as I watched in horror he crumpled and slid to the floor beside her.

"Bill!" I cried, but as I moved Ulrich flung his arm around me and held me back.

"Alex no! Wait..." We all stared at the little tableau in silence for a moment, Bill lying still on the floor beside the body which had first been Diana and then the corpsetaker Lucilla.

I began to wriggle frantically in Ulrich's arms. "Let me go! I have to go to him!" I wept. "Please Ulrich!" I could feel a blind panic creeping over me as I struggled frantically in his arms and yelled "Ulrich! Let me go right now!"

"No! Alex you can't….."

I felt a sudden jolt, as though I had received an electric shock and Ulrich dropped me with a grunt of pain. I turned to see him staring at me in disbelief. "What the hell was that?" he asked, rubbing his arms.

"I warned you!" I said angrily.

Just then I saw Bill's fingers twitch.

"Bill!" I screamed, running over to him and kneeling down beside him.

Gerry had come over to us with a rifle that he'd picked up from one of the downed security guards and was pointing it in the direction of Bill and Diana. As we watched Bill pushed himself up and shook his head.

Ulrich took a tentative step towards us and then stopped. "Listen to me Alex, you need to be careful…."

"I know! I know what you're all thinking…..you think that Lucilla has taken him, but you're wrong, I can feel him remember." I turned to see Bill watching me. He looked a little dazed but otherwise okay. "This is him, I know it!"

"Bill? Is she dead?" asked Ulrich. "The sorcerer?"

"Yes" said Bill weakly, struggling to rise to his feet "she's dead."

We all began to relax, but then it appeared as if Bill had spoken too soon. The corpse sat up suddenly and we all jumped back. Gerry raised the rifle warily but Bill waved him away. "No, no it's okay!" he said. It turned and looked at us and for just a second I saw its eyes glowing crimson.

"Then what is it?" asked Gerry from behind the barrel of the rifle.

Bill stood up and held out his hand to...whatever it was, helping it to its feet. "It's Lilith" he said.

There was silence in the great hall as Lilith got to her feet, swaying slightly and holding Bill's arm for balance. "Thank you" she said to him. The voice was not quite what we had heard from Bill in the Queen's drawing room, but it was sufficiently similar to be convincing. Bill kept his hand on her arm, steadying her as she turned to look around her.

"Are you serious?" asked Ulrich staring, wide-eyed, at the woman standing next to Bill. "This is Lilith?"

"In essence, yes" said Bill. His hand was shaking on her arm and he looked pale and tired. "The spirit of Lilith, which was within me, has left and now inhabits Diana's body. She has destroyed the sorcerer."

She turned to Bill and raised her hand, tracing her fingertips down his cheek in a gentle caress. "Don't be afraid my friend" she said softly. "The weakness you feel now will soon pass, it is simply the shock of my leaving. Soon you will feel as you did before, better in fact since I have left some of my strength and power with you in payment for your service to me." She smiled at him. "Besides, you have learned much from me, as I have learned much from you."

I put my arms around Bill. I wanted to scream at them all to go away and leave us alone but I just hugged him. "Bill? Are you okay?" I felt for him through the bond as I had done so often before and this time there was no other presence, no dark coldness with him. There was just Bill. I looked back to see the others staring at me. "He's right" I said. "She's gone!"

Dan was helping Azaria to her feet as the other vampires, led by Ulrich, began to kneel to Lilith. Bill began to kneel as well but she took his arm and stopped him.

"No, not you William!" she said. "You need never kneel to me my friend. I need you, I need your advice on how to deal with these..." she gestured around her at the assembled vampires, all of whom were now kneeling before her.

"You won't need me!" he said weakly. "You'll have the whole Authority to assist you. I'm not even a member of the lower level!"

"Do you remember me asking you about the appointment of the monarchy William?" she asked. "You told me that they were appointed by the Authority and I asked who appoints the Authority?" Bill nodded. "Well I have an answer for you. I do!" she said firmly. "And my first act is to appoint you as a Chancellor!"

By this time Bill was swaying on his feet and holding onto my arm for support. "Are you sure you're okay?" I asked anxiously.

"I'm very tired" he murmured, just as Ulrich got to his feet.

"Good grief Bill, you look terrible!" he said bluntly.

Lilith smiled at Bill. "You will be fine, I promise you, you just need to rest. Ulrich, fetch the cars and have him taken back to the Hotel."

"Of course!" said Ulrich with a little bow. He waved at one of the security guards who hurried off immediately.

Ulrich gave Bill a little smile. "I've spent all this time trying to get people to believe that Lilith lived in you…..now I'll have to start all over again!"

Lilith's eyes flickered red. "Trust me Ulrich, you'll have no trouble on that front."

Bill put a hand on her arm. "Now Lily, remember what I taught you….."

She took his hand and kissed it gently. "Yes William dear, "No killing people unnecessarily!" I have learned my lessons well my friend."

At this point the security guard hurried up and said something to Ulrich who turned to Bill and put an arm around his shoulders. "Come on, let's get you back to the Hotel." As we moved towards the entrance he turned to me with a puzzled expression. "Lily?" he whispered.

I shrugged. "I don't recommend you try it!" I whispered back.


	16. Chapter 16

Bill slept all the rest of that night and all of the following day. I sat with him throughout the day, unwilling to leave him for a moment. When he did not wake at dusk I began to be a little worried. Some time well after midnight there was a knock at the door. Susie and Dan and later Gerry and Azaria had all called to see how he was so, assuming it was one of them, I went up the steps of the suite and opened the door. To my surprise Lilith stood outside flanked by two security guards. Although she was inhabiting Diana's body, somehow she looked subtly different. She stood with her chin raised slightly, making her appear taller and her short dark air was slicked back against her head. The wide dark eyes had a slight gleam of red deep within them.

"May I speak with William?" she asked politely.

"No I'm afraid not!" I said, without thinking.

Her eyes narrowed and I felt all the hairs on my arms stand on end for a moment.

"No! I only meant that he hasn't woken up yet" I explained hurriedly. "Um…please, come in." She followed me into the lounge area and sat down on one of the sofas.

"Shouldn't he have woken by now?" I asked, my worry for Bill momentarily overcoming my fright at seeing her.

She smiled. "Do not fear for him, he will wake soon. To carry the essence of a God is a great burden. Although he is strong, he will need time to recover."

I watched her eyes move over the room and fix on the closed door to the bedroom.

"You want to keep him for yourself, don't you?" I asked quietly.

"Yes" she answered immediately. "I do. But I also know that he does not want me. Not in that way. He loves you." A little frown creased her forehead. "I could feel this when I lived inside his mind. He feels that to be with me, to be with anyone else, would be a betrayal of the love he has for you. I do not really understand this, but I know that he feels it deeply."

"So what will you do?" I asked boldly.

She smiled at me. "He has done me the greatest possible service" she said. "He has protected me, cared for me. Taught me how to live in this world, how to understand it. Enabled me to be a good leader to our kind. Without him...who knows what might have happened to us. And you have loved and supported him resolutely all this time. I have come to understand that he could not have done this without you. He deserves to live in peace with his love." She paused and looked over again at the closed door. "I want to keep him for myself but I would never wish to do anything to cause him pain" she said softly "but I also know that these two things are...incompatible, because to lose you would cause him unimaginable pain." She stared at me, her eyes burning red. "Promise me that you will care for him?"

"I will" I said, turning away so that she would not see the tears starting in my eyes.

She watched me for a moment, clearly puzzled by my reaction. Then without another word she turned and walked out of the room.

Soon after she had left Bill began to stir. I sat on the edge of the bed so that I was the first thing he saw when he opened his eyes.

"Alex" he murmured sleepily, "what time is it?"

"It's nearly three in the morning" I said quietly.

He frowned. "Have I slept for two hours?" he asked.

I couldn't help laughing. "Bill, that was last night!"

He sat up looking appalled. "I've slept for twenty four hours?"

"Slightly more than that actually. How do you feel?" I asked, reaching for his hand.

Bill thought about this for a moment. "Okay!...good even! You must have been worried, have you been here all that time?"

"Yes, of course I have! You don't think I'd leave you alone do you? Besides, Lilith said you'd wake soon."

"She's been here?" Bill looked around the room slightly anxiously. "What did she say?"

"Oh we had an interesting little chat…..she's very fond of you. I think you'll find she will want to continue consulting you, to keep you as an advisor" I smiled at him. "But she seems to appreciate that you have your own existence now, separate from hers."

Bill gave a little sigh of relief. "She did come to appreciate you Alex. She understood that you risked your life for me! She wasn't happy about it at first, obviously as it protected me from her influence, but she came to understand that you risked yourself because you loved me."

"So you're finally free of her? How does it feel?" I asked again, stroking his forehead.

"Much better now that I've had some rest. I feel stronger certainly. Lilith meant what she said, she has left me stronger than before. I no longer have her power but I'm well able to look after myself, and you too."

"What happened?"

"Exactly what we imagined would happen. Lucilla laid a trap for me and I walked right in like the idiot I am!" replied Bill looking embarrassed.

"That's not fair! You were trying to help Azaria!"

"Which is exactly what she knew I'd do! You said I should stay with you, I should have listened."

I leaned over and kissed his forehead gently. "Well I'm glad you didn't or Lilith would still be in here."

He lay back on the pillows and stared at the ceiling for a moment, his eyes strangely blank. "When she placed her hand on my chest I felt my heart beat again, just the once, then there was an agonising pain in my head. I felt as though my skull was about to split apart! Lucilla was trying to get in and Lily was trying to keep her out. She was strong too, I could feel the struggle somehow, then I must have passed out. I suspect that Lily drove her back into Diana's body and followed her. Then when she had destroyed her, she simply stayed there."

"Well I don't think we've seen the last of her. You're probably going to be her personal Chancellor from now on!" I said.

Bill laughed. "Yes, very probably I am. But at least now my thoughts are my own and I can have my own life back!" He squeezed my hand with a little frown. "Is there some problem with Ulrich?" he asked. "I thought he seemed to be behaving a little oddly around you?"

"Oh, that!" I looked down a little guiltily. "Well, I...I sort of...shocked him."

"What?" Bill looked really surprised. "I would have said that Ulrich was completely unshockable! What on earth did you say to him?"

"Well, no. It wasn't anything I said. I mean it literally. I shocked him!" Bill was simply staring at me in silence. "I don't even know how I did it! He was holding me, stopping me from getting to you. I can see why, he was worried that it wasn't really you, but of course I knew it was. I just wanted him to let go and suddenly...he got a shock and let go."

Bill brought my hand up to his lips and kissed it. "You were afraid for me?" he said.

"It was the power, the fae...power. I'd used it earlier as well somehow..." I explained, haltingly, what had happened with Harry.

"You actually threw this guy off Harry?" he asked quietly. "That takes serious power Alex, believe me!"

"Mab said that when I needed it I would know what to do" I whispered. "But it only seems to happen if I'm angry, or afraid...afraid for you."

"You must be tired as well" he said. "Have you had any sleep at all?"

"Well….no actually!"

He held out his arms to me. "Come here sweetheart, you need rest too."

I wriggled out of my jeans, climbed into the bed with him and curled up in his arms, limp with relief. I felt his hand gently stroking my hair as I slipped into a deep, restful sleep.

When I woke I was alone in the bed. I had a brief moment of panic before I heard Bill moving around in the lounge area. He must have either heard me or felt me wake as he put his head round the door and smiled at me.

"Hello sleepy! Have you had anything to eat?" he asked.

"Well, not much" I admitted. "I was too worried about you."

"I guessed as much!" he said with a patient smile. "Come on out here and get some dinner!"

I slipped out of bed and pulled off my T shirt, putting my silk dressing gown on instead. I was tying the belt as I passed through the doorway and stopped dead, staring at the scene before me. In the centre of the room before one of the sofas was a small table covered with a crisp, white tablecloth and a dining chair. On the table was a glass holder containing a candle faintly scented with lavender next to a chilled bottle of white wine and next to the table was a trolley covered with dishes from which delicious looking steam was escaping.

Bill pulled the chair back slightly. "Would madam care to take a seat?" he asked.

I walked over to the table in a daze. "Oh Bill! You organised all this for me?"

"I can't have you so busy looking after me that you forget to look after yourself now can I?"

I sat down and lifted the cover off one of the dishes at random. The aroma of chicken in a white wine sauce flowed out. Suddenly I realised that I was starving. Bill poured me a glass of wine and then sat on the opposite sofa watching me with an indulgent smile as I helped myself to samples of all the delicious dishes he had selected for me.

It was a good while later when I finally sat back licking a trace of chocolate sauce from my lips with a contented sigh.

"Oh Bill….that was delicious!"

"I'm glad you enjoyed it" he said, getting up and coming over to me. He picked me up off the chair and carried me over to the sofa. Putting me down carefully, he knelt down in front of me and reached over to a side table for a small velvet box. "I bought you this in New York, at the same time as the bracelet" he said, opening the box. Inside was a matching ring. Three twisted bands of coloured gold with a large marquise cut diamond in the centre.

"Oh it's lovely Bill, the same pattern as the bracelet! But why didn't you show it to me at the time?"

He gazed up at me and I smiled to myself. He was wearing a pair of baggy sleep pants that he must have put on to answer the door for the food trolley, his bare feet buried in the thick rug before the sofa, his brilliant blue eyes sparkling in the candlelight. He looked utterly adorable.

"I didn't feel that I could" he said. "Not then, it wouldn't have been fair. Alex, I know all this must have been terribly hard for you. Never knowing quite what was happening, never really knowing who you were going to wake up to. But you never gave up on me. You were always there, steadfast at the centre of all the chaos, always waiting for me, and I clung to you as the one thing in my existence that I could count on. The one person who cared for me, for what I truly was, not for what I had become. You have been everything to me. My friend, my companion, my lover, my slave, my saviour …... now I want you to be my wife."

I looked down at the ring in my hand, feeling like a total idiot. Why on earth hadn't I realised this straight away? Bill was gazing at me with an curious expression of hope mixed with fear. I simply couldn't understand why he should look worried. Surely he knew by now that he was the only thing I wanted?

"Of course, Bill!" I whispered. "Of course I'll marry you. I love you more than my life."

He sat quite still watching me. "Alex, don't give me an answer too soon. You should think about this for a moment, I want you to be certain." he asked. "You know I would do anything in the world for you but there is one thing I cannot do. You must be sure that you wouldn't be happier with someone...someone human, someone who could give you children?"

I felt a hot tear run down my face as I reached down and placed my hand gently on his cool cheek. "Oh Bill, you're such a fool sometimes! How could I ever be happy with anyone else as long as you walk the earth?"

One moment I was sitting on the sofa looking into those eyes, so brilliant and full of life and the next I was in his arms and he was kissing me frantically.

"Whoa!" I wriggled away for a moment. "I have one condition!"

"Okay fine!" he said, pulling me back and kissing me again.

"Hey wait! You don't even know what it is yet!" I squeaked, struggling in his embrace.

"I don't care! I'll move heaven and earth for you, I'll do anything you want ...anything!" He paused and looked down at me with a sigh. "Okay, what is it?"

I looked up at him solemnly. "The next time Ulrich asks you to do him a favour...you say no!"

His face broke into a beautiful smile, peaceful and full of pure happiness. "I promise" he placed his hand over his heart. "No more favours for Ulrich!" He took my hand and opened it up. I was still clutching the ring and he carefully took it from me and placed it on my finger. Then he lifted my hand to his lips and kissed it gently. He pulled me into his arms and slipped his hands inside the thin silk dressing gown. I felt his long elegant fingers tugging at the silken ties and then the gown fell open and he leaned down and pressed his soft lips against my throat.

"I've put the "Do not Disturb" sign on the door" he murmured.

"You think Lilith will take any notice of that?"

"Oh I hope so!" his voice was low and husky with desire. "I intend to make love to you until you plead for mercy!"

"It's going to be a long night then!" I smiled happily up at him, wriggling closer until I could feel the soft material of his pyjama pants against my thighs.

"Very long! This place is light tight remember, I've had a really long sleep so there's no reason for me to stop at dawn." He bent his head and kissed me gently. His fangs had slid out and I trailed my tongue along them experimentally. They seemed neither so long nor quite so brutal as they had been, although they were still viciously sharp. I shivered at the thought of them and felt Bill's arms tighten around me and his soft, cool lips press down on mine.

"Relax sweetheart" he whispered. "I've got you all to myself at last. Just the two of us…."


End file.
